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No Senedd debate on animal experiments, MSs decide

29 Apr 2025 2 minute read
Photo by Ernesto Eslava from Pixabay

Martin Shipton

Members of the Senedd will not debate a proposal to stop state funding of experiments carried out on live animals, but will write to the four Welsh universities that undertake such research, asking them to clarify their position.

More than 39,000 procedures involving animals took place in Wales in 2022, an increase over 2021. However polls show that most people oppose animal research, preferring new technologies.

Four universities – Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea – conduct animal experiments.

Petition

A petition submitted by Deborah Davies of Wales Against Animal Experiments gained a total of 13,931 signatures, at least 7,000 of which came from England.

Plaid Cymru MS Luke Fletcher told the Petitions Committee: “Looking at what the petition is calling for, animal testing isn’t devolved. There’s a question around the funding of Welsh universities, but the Welsh Government’s position is clear on that – it’s hands off.

“I know it’s reached the threshold [for a debate] but fewer than half of those signatures come from Wales. I do think there’s a role for individual Members who take an interest in this to be asking some questions around the funding element.

“So I wouldn’t be in a position to suggest we take this for a debate, especially when we consider the amount of time that’s left before the dissolution of the Senedd [for the May 2026 election]. We should be focussing on those petitions where the Welsh Government has the ability to do things.”

Mr Fletcher suggested, and the committee agreed, that the universities concerned should be written to asking about their petition on animal testing and what they were looking to move away from it.

 


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
6 hours ago

Come on Aber, don’t be cruel…

I was the only one in my Biology class in High School to refuse to cut up dead rats etc!

Last edited 6 hours ago by Mab Meirion
D412
D412
59 minutes ago

Would be another typical reductive growth killing outcome if welsh gov decided to cut funding to these projects. It would just mean collaborative investment for these projects goes to England or elsewhere affecting Welsh jobs and universities. That said how much science/animal testing funding actually comes from Welsh gov bodies rather than UK based bodies? Not sure it’s much. At the end of the day would the people pushing these debates refuse a drug for their sick child which was developed using animal testing? I think I know the answer.

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