REPLACEMENT, REFINEMENT AND REDUCTION TESTING METHODS

Early day motion 1627, tabled 6 June 2007 by Martin Horwood (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 68 members.

That this House congratulates the nine EU and US companies which recently developed five alternative testing methods based on the 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) and which were validated on 27th April by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM); notes that the tests reduce time and costs and have the potential to provide more accurate results and a more reliable indication of chemical safety than animal tests; highlights the fact that Great Britain is one of the largest users of laboratory animals in the EU, with numbers of scientific procedures using live animals increasing since 1997; is concerned that, whilst in 2005 there were 528 licences for animal testing projects granted, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research only received enough funding to back nine 3R projects; and calls on the Government to increase its funding to NC3R to help Great Britain contribute more towards the development of the 3Rs.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 22, Conservative 9, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Independent 1, Scottish National Party 1.