Animal Experiments Medical Research 2025-06-16

Opened the debate

Before I start, I must declare an interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research. Five animals are used every minute in UK research, with over 2 million approved for use across 125 projects. Non-technical summaries show invasive procedures like brain surgery on monkeys and dogs. The public opinion is against it; a petition demanding an end to dog use has over 240,000 signatures. I support transitioning away from animal testing and phasing out the practice. Only 14% of UK public feel using dogs for research is acceptable. There should be more funding for non-animal methods as only 0.2-0.6% of total biomedical research funding goes to this area now. The EU has committed to a roadmap for phasing out animal testing entirely by 2026, and the UK could follow suit.

Government Response

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for opening this important debate, and I thank all hon. Members for their contributions. We appreciate that the use of animals in medical research stirs strong emotional instincts across the UK, including many colleagues here. The day when we can finally bring an end to animal testing cannot come soon enough. Sadly, however, that day is not here yet. The Government will publish a strategy later this year to support the development, validation, and uptake of alternative methods. The roadmap aims to replace animals with alternatives wherever possible, aiming to place the UK at the forefront of international efforts. Currently, over £100 million has been committed through funding for new three Rs approaches by the NC3Rs since its launch in 2004. Further investment includes more than £6 million for seven centres of excellence for regulatory science and innovation, supporting advancements like computational techniques to test medical products. While we work towards alternatives, the careful regulation of animal use remains necessary.