I have been contacted by constituents about Animal Testing.
As the Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South, I have included below my response:
I know UK law requires animals are only used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed to achieve the scientific benefit, and where the potential harm is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
I understand, with regards to animal testing for cosmetics, the Government has recognised the public concern around the testing on animals of chemicals used as ingredients in cosmetics. I welcome the fact the Government has introduced measures that ensure no new licences will now be granted for animal testing of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products. Further, I am aware the Government is also undertaking a review at pace on the effective administration of the ban over the longer term. This will give due regard of the needs of the science industry, the need to ensure worker and environmental safety, and the need to protect animals from unnecessary harm.
More broadly, I am glad the Government is actively committed to supporting and funding the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is primarily through funding from the UK Research and Innovation for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) who have committed £31.6 million for research and innovation into replacements technologies in the past five years, and to ensure the UK has a robust and regulatory system for licensing animal studies. The NC3Rs are on track to meet their commitment to invest 75 per cent of their research and innovation budge on replacement technologies by the end of 2024.
Thank you to those constituents who took the time to contact me about this issue.
