The UK is a global leader in scientific innovation and research, but it must end experiments on animals

I was pleased to bring an important debate to Parliament this week on a subject that is close to my heart and that of many of my constituents – the use of animals in science. Indeed, we are a nation of pet lovers and there are few subjects discussed in this House that merit such an alliance of agreement across the parties and which reflects just how much we hold our pets so dear.

As a dog owner myself, it was with trepidation that I read the findings of the recent report from the Animals in Science Regulation Unit for 2024 which highlighted just how much we are failing to prevent animals’ suffering when used in scientific experiments due to incidents of non-compliance with the law or licence conditions.

Here, once again, cross-party MPs are united in horror at the number of incidents across 2024 which led to unnecessary and traumatic suffering or death for animals used in medical research. Examples included animals starving to death or drowned in some cases, while other animals were put into waste bags by mistake, and some being kept alive beyond humane endpoints.

As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Phasing out Animal Experiments in Medical Research and the urgency in which I believe this transition should be addressed, I would assert that the very least we can do in the meantime for these animals used in laboratories is to ensure their welfare to minimise their suffering.

Because it is important to put this issue into context – in 2024, 2.64 million procedures using animals took place in UK labs – that’s 5 animals used in research every minute of every day.

Procedures include non-human primates being subjected to invasive brain surgery and deprived of fluid to induce them to perform behavioural tasks. And this is under licenced conditions.

However, the ASRU report has highlighted incidences where compliance with these licenced conditions was not followed such as failure to provide food and water, the most basic of welfare needs for these animals held in laboratories across the UK. One incident reported a ‘mother removed from cage and killed, resulting in unweaned pups starving to death’.

There has been some progress, with a 16% decrease in cases of non-compliance in British laboratories since 2023 but this report highlights that in 2024, there were still 146 cases involving a total of 22,204 animals, and these are the reported incidents I might add. 68 establishment audits were conducted for this report, however, only 3% of cases of non-compliance were identified by audits and 69% were self-reported. This hardly a robust inspection system and in 75% of cases, the only sanction was ‘inspector advice.’

This is why I would argue that despite the UK Government’s pledge to deliver a programme of regulatory reform to bolster compliance, I don’t believe this will fix the issue. A few more full-time inspectors cannot possibly ensure a reduction in suffering when you are faced with numbers of procedures in the millions.

Despite Labour’s publication last November of its strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to the use of animals in science, meaningful change will not occur without a series of more robust measures. We need to move further and faster, which is why I support the practical pathway to phase out animal testing as laid out in Herbie’s Law devised in collaboration with the scientific community. A draft of this law entitled the Human Specific Technologies Bill outlines how the Government could ensure progress, how scientists would be supported, and with detail on setting up an Expert Advisory Committee to give specialist advice on animal replacement.

I was pleased to hear the Minister in her summing up at my debate agree to setting up a meeting with Lord Vallance, the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation to air our cross-party concerns on animal welfare in science and the need for a faster and more comprehensive transition. Because the ASRU findings are a stark reminder of what is at stake for these animals when the law is broken, or licence conditions are not followed.

The UK has an opportunity here to not only secure our position as a global leader in animal protection and scientific innovation, but to end their suffering in medical research. Until this happens, we will continue to fail animals in laboratories across the UK.