Petition End Welsh Govt funding of animal experiments and divert funds to modern, human-relevant technologies
Over 39,000 animal procedures took place in Wales in 2022, an increase on 2021. However polls show most people oppose animal research, favouring new technologies. (South Wales Argus April 2021)
Four Welsh universities (Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea) conduct animal studies. Yet the Welsh Govt is being urged by the Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Medical Research (2023 inquiry report) to increase its QR funding to unis and to incentivize the sector in order to accrue economic benefits.
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The expansion of medical research without scrutiny of how the money is spent should be a cause of concern to the Welsh people, as public funded research is paid for primarily through taxation. Investment in innovative science such as organ-on-a-chip, 3D bioprinting and computer modelling is called for. It is these technologies, based on human biology, that can boost the economy, strengthen the NHS and deliver for patients. Animal studies, apart from causing immense suffering, are unreliable, costly and block rather than advance medical progress.
Given the Labour Government’s manifesto pledge to ‘partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing’ it seems an ideal opportunity to modernise research in Wales. By scrutinising how its financial contribution is used and directing funds to human relevant methods, the Welsh Government can set an example and encourage industry and the charitable sector to follow suit.
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