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The Ethics of Research involving Animals

External Consultation

Public Consultation

The Council held a public consultation between September and December 2003. More than 160 responses were received from a wide variety of interested individuals and organisations. The Working Party would like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation. The replies contained interesting and useful views and information.

Although the consultation has now closed, you can still download the consultation paper

The consultation posed questions such as:

  • Can we justify research on animals?
  • How much do animals actually suffer?
  • Does a mouse have a different moral status than a monkey?
  • Who should fund research into alternatives?

Fact Finding Meetings

The Working Party held a number of fact-finding meetings with individuals and organisations as part of its research:

  • Professor Michael Balls, Chairman of the Trustees of FRAME, former Head of ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods, European Commission Joint Research Centre)
  • Dr Gill Langley, Scientific Advisor, Dr Hadwen Trust
  • Department of Biology, University of York
  • Dr Christopher Springall, CRO Covance
  • Representatives of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the Parkinson's Disease Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust
  • Pfizer, Sandwich
  • MORI Social Research Institute
  • Animals (Scientific Procedures) Division, Home Office, and the Animals Procedures Committee
  • Americans for Medical Advancement, Europeans for Medical Advancement
  • Institute of Neurology, London
  • Huntingdon Research Centre and Huntingdon Life Sciences

Last Updated Mon, 30 July 2007

Consultation responses

The Council publishes the responses it has received to consultations, where permission has been granted by respondents.

Download the responses to the consultation on the ethics of research involving animals.

Printable Version