ANIMAL TESTING AND THE REACH CHEMICALS REGULATION PROGRAMME

Early day motion 323, tabled 14 June 2005 by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 46 members.

That this House is profoundly concerned by the possibility that many millions of animals could be subjected to animal testing under the European Union's proposed REACH chemicals regulation programme; notes that toxicity tests on animals cause severe suffering and distress; believes that animal-based toxicity testing does not produce results that can be reliably extrapolated to human beings and thus does not assure human safety; supports the application of non-animal test methods in combination with the prohibition of chemicals of concern under the precautionary principle; and calls upon the Government to use the forthcoming Presidency of the Council of Ministers to ensure that the Council's Common Position on REACH prioritises all possible mechanisms to eliminate animal testing from the legislation.

Signatures by party: Labour 30, Liberal Democrat 10, Conservative 3, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.