Your Views

Public opinion surveys over the last decade have shown that people in the UK have quite positive views about animal research. Most surveys show that about three quarters of people accept the need to use animals in research to make medical progress.

The polling company Ipsos MORI has been asking the public about their views on animal research since 1999. Throughout the last 10 years, they have found that about nine in 10 people accept the need for animal research provided that certain conditions are met:

  • There is no unnecessary suffering.
  • The research is for serious medical or life-saving purposes.
  • There is no alternative.

In fact the vast majority of UK research meets these conditions.

The polls reveal that the UK public's trust in the way animal research is regulated has increased significantly over the last decade. Almost two-thirds trust the inspectors of animal facilities to uncover any misconduct that may be occurring and the number who expect that the regulations are well enforced has risen by 23 percentage points. But there is still some scepticism about some aspects of the rules and regulations.

Ipsos MORI 'Views on Animal Experimentation Report 2010'

 

Expert and independent opinion

There have been four major enquiries in the UK on the contribution of animal research to science and medicine since 2002. For instance, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures report in 2002 said "On balance, we are convinced that experiments on animals have contributed greatly to scientific advances, both for human medicine and for animal health. Animal experimentation is a valuable research method which has proved itself over time.... Toxicological testing in animals is at present essential for medical practice and the protection of consumers and the environment, as it often provides information that is not currently available from any other source."

High profile scientists, doctors and politicians have also made supportive statements.

Policy statements

All major scientific and medical organisations around the world agree that animal research is crucial for our understanding of the body in health and disease and for the development and testing of new medical treatments. In the UK, a growing number of universities and research bodies have made public statements about the need for animal research and the high standards to which it is conducted.

 

 

IMAGE©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SVETA

 

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