Ban commercial breeding for laboratories. Implement reform to approve & use NAMs
The Parliament petitions site records 102,230 signatures for this petition, which closed on 12 October 2022. The Government responded on 27 May 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 16 January 2023.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Ban commercial breeding for laboratories. Implement reform to approve & use NAMs
Revoke all licences (PEL) for commercial breeders of laboratory animals. Require all Project Licences (PPLs) applications be reviewed by an independent Non Animal Methods (NAMs) specialist committee. Revise s24 ASPA 1986 to allow review. Urge International Regulators to accept & promote NAMs.
We believe the use of animals is scientifically, ethically, morally and financially (taxpayer funded) unjustifiable.
Defined in 1959, UK law enshrines the principles of the 3Rs. The UK must abandon these old principles and focus on the development and use of Non Animal Methods.
Having an independent NAMs specialist committee review applications for Project Licences (PPLs) prior to their approval, so that a licence is only granted if there is no replacement method.
Commercial breeders of laboratory animals are profit rather than animal-welfare focused.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 27 May 2022; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Home Office as responsible. Its summary:
The use of animals in science supports the development of new medicines and the safety of our environment, for the benefit of humans and animals, and is only permitted when there are no alternatives.
The opening 291 words of the 569-word response:
The UK’s strengths in research and innovation put it at the forefront of global science. The Government is committed to supporting this science base whilst delivering a rigorous regulatory framework of protections where animals are used.
The use of animals in science supports the development of new medicines and cutting-edge medical technologies, for humans and animals, as well as supporting the safety and sustainability of our environment. Animal research has helped us to make life-changing discoveries, from new vaccines and medicines to transplant procedures, anaesthetics, and blood transfusions.
Animal testing is required by global medicines regulators to protect human health and safety. Many products which would not be safe or effective in humans are detected through animal testing thus avoiding harm to humans.
Animal testing of chemicals is, in some cases, required under UK law and is dependent on the chemical and quantity manufactured, to protect the safety of workers exposed to material in high amounts, consumers and the environment when chemicals may find their way into waterways, soil or atmosphere.
The Government is also clear that animals must be protected. The legal framework in the UK ensures that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed to achieve the scientific benefit, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
The UK regulatory framework has a rigorous approach to the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in all applications for programmes of work involving animals. Establishments conducting research must have robust internal governance systems and processes that ensure the regulated activities carried out at the establishment are undertaken in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 578, came from North West Cambridgeshire.
101,148 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,082 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North West Cambridgeshire | 578 |
| Huntingdon | 501 |
| South Norfolk | 453 |
| Chichester | 340 |
| North East Cambridgeshire | 338 |
| Wallasey | 333 |
| North East Bedfordshire | 322 |
| Saffron Walden | 308 |
| South Cambridgeshire | 294 |
| St Helens South and Whiston | 289 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 14,698 |
| North West | 13,078 |
| East of England | 12,937 |
| South West | 9,608 |
| West Midlands | 9,053 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,080 |
| East Midlands | 7,814 |
| London | 7,673 |
| Scotland | 6,517 |
| Wales | 5,283 |
| North East | 4,084 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,425 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 16 January 2023. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/611810.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
93957acdded11122… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.