Contact your MP to ask them to support a future without experiments on animals
Kwasi Kwarteng MP, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, will tomorrow make his first major speech since being appointed by the new Prime Minister earlier this month.
In what is being described as a cost-of-living budget, the Chancellor is expected to focus on growth as a way of addressing the economic problems of the country. This focus on growth provides an opportunity for government to recognise the contribution that more investment in human-relevant science could make not only to animal protection and human health but also, importantly, to the UK economy.
Evidence presented to a group of MPs last year highlighted that currently only about 0.02% of the UK’s total expenditure on R&D is spent on human-relevant New Approach Methodologies.
Investment in research and development can be a fundamental bedrock of economic growth. Proper investment in modern science using human cell technology, computer modelling, organ-on-a-chip and AI could hugely contribute to bolstering the leading position of the UK’s life science industry and reap benefits for animals and humans at the same time.
Our Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Kerry Postlewhite, said: “We understand that right now there are many priority calls for the Chancellor to respond to and this won’t be an easy emergency budget. However, with the focus on growth, we believe that this is an opportunity to invest in animal-free science with a view to the economic benefits it can bring, alongside the benefits for human health and animals. It’s not even a case of needing new funding – government could decide to divert existing resources away from animal-based research towards more humane and human-relevant non-animal approaches.”
If you live in the UK and want to urge your Member of Parliament to support an end to animal experiments, you can use our quick and easy tool to contact them and ask them to add their signature to a motion currently tabled in parliament.