Male Chick Culling
Debate between Maureen Burke and Irene Campbell(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)
I declare an interest: earlier this week, I hosted the “Ban Hatch and Dispatch” event in Parliament with the Vegetarian Society, as well as hosting a drop-in event the previous week. It was important to hear presentations from industry experts about the innovative and effective in-ovo testing laboratories in Europe, which offer a vision of what we could have here in the UK. I will be hosting a further event on 4 November and I encourage colleagues to attend. I am keenly awaiting the publication of the animal welfare strategy this autumn, and I hope that this topic will be discussed in it.
Maureen Burke (Glasgow North East) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this animal cruelty to the attention of the House. Considering the advances that have been made in determining the sex of chicks before they hatch, does she agree that there is absolutely no excuse for commercial egg producers to be routinely culling animals on such a massive scale?
Animal Experiments: Medical Research
Debate between Maureen Burke and Irene Campbell(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)
Before I start, I must declare an interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research. This issue is very important to me, and to many of my constituents who contact me about this matter. I recognise that there are many views on this topic, on both sides of this debate, but it is clear that the scientific evidence for ending these procedures becomes stronger by the day. I am also a member of the Labour Animal Welfare Society, and I must also declare that interest.
Many people may not be aware that five animals are used in research every minute of every day in the UK. Non-technical summaries of animal experiment licences granted between January and March 2025 show that over 2 million animals were approved for use across 125 projects, including 120 beagles, and there was a further licence for invasive brain surgery on monkeys. Many species are used, including dogs, cats, rats, horses, mice, zebra, fish and chickens. Many may be surprised by that list, but the simple message is that animal experiments are failing patients, and I will say a bit more about that later.
I recently led a petition debate in Westminster Hall on immediately banning the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures. This petition now has over 240,000 signatures, which I think is a great demonstration of public opinion on this issue. During that debate, I quoted from a debate in the other place in 1927 on the Protection of Dogs Bill, in which it was stated that experiments on dogs might be discontinued, yet a century later, we are still here debating this issue.
Maureen Burke (Glasgow North East) (Lab)
I recently met researchers at Glasgow University who are working to develop animal-free research methods. They told me that one challenge they face is a lack of dedicated funding. Does my hon. Friend agree that if we are to transition to more humane testing, the Government must consider making more research funding available?
Irene Campbell
I agree with my hon. Friend. Moving towards animal-free research will take some time, which is why we refer to “phasing out”. The funding structures, particularly relating to academic research, have to shift. I thank her for her intervention.