NEWS STORY : Debate Takes Place in Westminster Hall on Commercial Breeding for Laboratories
STORY
E-petition 611810, on the subject of commercial breeding for laboratories, has been debated by MPs in Westminster Hall with the session beginning with a speech by Elliot Colburn, the Conservative MP for Carshalton and Wallington. He said that the situation with commercial breeding appeared to be getting worse, noting:
“I came across a shocking statistic when preparing for this debate. In 2021, over 3 million scientific procedures were conducted on animals. If that figure was not large enough already, it was a 6% increase on the year before. The use of dogs increased by 3%, cats by 6%, horses by 29% and monkeys by 17%”.
Kerry McCarthy, the Labour MP for Bristol East, added:
“Breeding animals solely for the purpose of animal testing all too often condemns them to a life of suffering, culminating in a painful death. As we have heard, conditions in such breeding facilities have been shown to be unhygienic and cruel, with the animals exhibiting signs of extreme stress and frustration. That is just in the breeding facilities, and we know that the animals then go on to the laboratory, where who knows what they will have to endure”.
Sarah Dines, the Government Minister at the Home Office responsible for animal testing, replied to the debate:
“We all benefit from the use of animals in science. That can be through improved knowledge of how tissues and organs work to help find new treatments for disease and illness; the development and safety testing of medicines before they are trialled and then used in humans; the safety testing of chemicals to protect workers and the environment; veterinary research and medicines to support animal health; and the protection of the natural environment and the preservation of species. When we need medical care, we benefit from medicines and medical technologies that are possible due to knowledge gained from the use of animals in research. We trust those medicines are safe to use because of the rigorous testing requirements, including at times the use of animals”.
She added:
“First, robust regulation will ensure that animals are not used where a non-animal alternative could deliver the benefit sought, and secondly, our strategic aim is to facilitate and promote alternatives to animals in scientific research and testing. I therefore believe that we have a shared aim of fully replacing live animals as soon as possible, where that is safe and scientifically possible”.
RESOURCES
Text of Parliamentary Petition
Elliot Colburn – Speech in Westminster Hall
Emma Hardy – Speech in Westminster Hall
Kerry McCarthy – Speech in Westminster Hall
Margaret Ferrier – Speech in Westminster Hall
Taiwo Owatemi – Speech in Westminster Hall
Rosie Duffield – Speech in Westminster Hall
Rupa Huq – Speech in Westminster Hall
Patricia Gibson – Speech in Westminster Hall
Sarah Jones – Speech in Westminster Hall
Sarah Dines – Speech in Westminster Hall
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