Animal Testing Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Adam Dance
Main Page: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)Department Debates - View all Adam Dance's debates with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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Adam Dance (Yeovil) (LD)
I thank the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for leading the debate. I also recognise and thank the hundreds of Yeovil constituents who signed this petition and previous petitions on this subject.
Research now shows that the failure rate of translation of drugs from animal testing to human treatments is around 92%, and has been for the past few decades. Those failures are due either to safety concerns or to the fact that the product does not work. However, more than anything, testing on animals, including thousands of dogs and primates, is cruel. Like many of my constituents, I have a lovely dog, who is called Roo. No matter how hard our day might be, when we see that smile and waggy tail, it makes everything so much better. We love our pets like family, so when I see videos of dogs and other animals used for testing in poor conditions, I cannot help but think of my Roo.
Of course we have regulations meant to make sure that testing is ethical, but the report for 2024 by the Government’s own Animals in Science Regulation Unit shows that some establishments are still failing to provide proper care for testing animals. That is not good enough and we should stop it immediately. Given that animal testing is cruel and often not efficient, my constituents tell me that they want to see a clear pathway to phasing it out as soon as possible, and in particular an end to animal toxicity testing. We have a real shot at that, thanks to amazing developments in AI, large datasets, cell engineering, cutting-edge disease modelling and other technology and methods.
In that context, the Government’s “Replacing animals in science” strategy is a strong start, and I welcome the funding commitments that have come with it. However, I hope the Minister can answer a few questions. On standards, beyond increasing the number of inspectors, what steps are being taken to strengthen regulation and oversight of animal testing, if the Government will not commit to a clear target for phasing it out? When will we see regulation and guidance on AI-informed decision making? How will the Government keep guidance up to date, given how quickly AI is developing? Finally, while it is great that the Government are committed to international leadership and co-operation on ending testing on animals, what action has that commitment translated into so far? What is being done to push the private sector to invest more in development and using alternatives?
When we cannot be sure that it is effective, testing on animals is not science—it is just violence. My constituents want no part in it.