As an animal lover myself, I can assure you that I take this issue extremely seriously.
I recently wrote to the Minister responsible, Lord Sharpe of Epsom OBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office, about animal testing. I am delighted that no new licences will now be granted for animal testing of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products.
He assured me that, “the Government is taking action to seek alternatives to animal testing for worker and environmental safety of chemicals used exclusively as cosmetic ingredients”. I am pleased to say that this reflects the Government’s wider commitment to replacing the use of animals in science wherever scientifically possible.
I am also pleased that in his letter to me, the Minister is confident that the UK science sector and industry has the talent to provide the solutions to replace animals used in science. In fact, I recently asked a question in Parliament about breeding facilities for scientific testing, which you may be interested to watch here.
I will continue to monitor this issue closely as I remain unhappy about welfare standards at breeding facilities, and would like to see a “loophole” closed in the 2006 Animal Welfare Act which means that animals for scientific testing are exempt from the Act's protection.
In relation to the use of faux fur, I can assure you that the MOD would like to find an alternative material to bearskin should one prove acceptable. This is a commitment the MOD takes very seriously. Indeed, where sustainable, affordable and appropriate faux material exists, the MOD has used it - the busby caps of the Royal Horse Artillery are a prime example.
(July 2023)
