Press Release - November
1997
Cosmetic Product Testing On Animals Ends Today - Lord Williams
6 November 1997 Tel:
020 7273 4600
The Government has secured an end to cosmetic product testing on animals,
Home Office Minister Lord Williams announced today.
The move comes just two weeks after the Home Secretary announced that
discussions seeking an industry-wide voluntary ban were underway.
The three organisations who currently hold licences have agreed to the
ban and all the licences - including one which could have run to the year
2002 - have been returned to the Home Office for amendment.
Lord Williams said:
"This Government will not agree to cosmetic product testing on
animals. I am delighted that the dialogue we initiated has resulted
in such a speedy agreement to a voluntary ban and we welcome the co-operation
we have received.
"As the Home Office has no intention of issuing new licences,
this amounts to a complete ban on the use of animals in cosmetic product
testing.
"A voluntary agreement was the quickest way to achieve a ban as legal
advice confirmed that the existing law did not allow us to revoke the
licences."
Further initiatives are being examined to restrict the use of animals
and, in cases where animals procedures are necessary, to improve the operation
of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Lord Williams said:
"All licence applications have to be examined on a case-by-case basis
and, before allowing tests to go ahead, we have to be satisfied that
there are no alternatives, that any suffering to animals is outweighed
by the potential benefit to humans and that the minimum possible number
of animals are used.
"These decisions are not taken lightly but until alternative tests
can be developed some animal testing is necessary to guarantee the safety
of products and if there are to be scientific advances and medical breakthroughs."
Lord Williams is meeting the Animal Procedures Committee today to discuss
a range of other proposals including:
- a ban on the safety testing of ingredients intended primarily for
vanity products;
- a ban on the use of Great Apes (chimpanzees, pygmy chimpanzees, gorillas
and orang-utans) - Great Apes have never been used under the current
legislation and the Government will not allow their use in scientific
procedures;
- continuing the constraints on the use of wild-caught primates - that
they will only be used where there are no alternative tests or suitable
captive-bred animals available and where the magnitude of likely benefit
exceptionally justifies their use. The only wild-caught primates currently
used are baboons which cannot be bred in captivity. They are used in
heart transplant research;
- a ban on alcohol and tobacco product development and testing - there
are no licences in existence and the Government will not allow any tests
involving animals.
Lord Williams added:
"Although these proposed bans cannot be statutory under current legislation,
I do not foresee any circumstances in which the Home Office would issue
licences in such cases."
Other proposals being discussed with the Animal Procedures Committee
include:
- a requirement that all organisations licensed to carry out procedures
on animals set up welfare committees. These would scrutinise the ethics
of proposed work and aim to reduce the numbers of animals used, minimise
suffering and improve the care and accommodation of laboratory animals;
- putting pressure on regulatory bodies - both national and international
- to review their requirements that animals are needed in human safety
testing of ingredients and products;
- encouraging the use of alternatives to animals by working with European
partners and the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods,
based in Italy, to establish a European database of alternative methods;
- increasing the number of animal welfare experts on the Animal Procedures
Committee and generally improving liaison between the Government and
animal welfare groups. Lord Williams has already met a wide range of
groups including RSPCA, BUAV, FRAME, the Kennel Club and Blue Cross;
- Government plans to increase the number of inspectors in the Home
Office Inspectorate - in addition to the three new inspectors appointed
since June.
Notes For Editors:
1. The Home Office accepted all 13 recommendations of an independent
review by the Animals Procedures Committee of the Animals (Scientific
Procedures) Act 1986 on 21 October. The review began in 1996.
2. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates any experimental
or other scientific procedure applied to a protected animal which may
have the effect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distress or lasting
harm.
3. The Animal Procedures Committee is an independent
body set up under the Act to advise the Home Secretary on all matters
concerned with its operation.
4. The UK Regulatory bodies would include Health and
Safety Executive and the Medicines Control Agency and internationally
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation for Development.
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