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Neil O'Brien MP

Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

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Animal Testing

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Animal research still plays a role in providing vital safety information for potential new medicines. It is worth remembering that, as a result of findings from animal studies, a large number of potential new drugs never get as far as being tested in humans. Some aspects of the toxicological assessment of new medicines cannot be adequately assessed in humans, and animal data will be the only kind available. 

Without animal testing it is highly likely that a large number of potentially dangerous new medicines would be tested in healthy volunteers and patients in clinical trials, and I know Ministers believe that this would be quite unacceptable.

However, animals are only used when there are no suitable alternatives, and by encouraging new cutting-edge approaches to science we will ensure that standards of animal welfare are improved. I am opposed to animal tests where alternative approaches could be used.

I fully support all steps to establish new methods and to support the life sciences and research industry. Since 2017, the Government has invested around £1 billion through two Life Sciences Sector Deals, helping to generate significant levels of industry investment in the UK. I am committed to making the UK the leading global hub for life sciences. The Life Sciences Investment Programme (LSIP) aims to unlock the potential of the UK’s best health and life science innovations, allowing companies to grow in the UK. This investment programme consists of up to £600 million of joint Government and industry investment. 

It is important to remember that, existing scientific research methods ensure that, by the time medicines reach clinical trial, risks are significantly reduced. 

Campaign Emails

  • ASRU Change Programme
  • Adult Social Care
  • Air Quality
  • Alcohol and Beer Duty
  • Animal Exports
  • Animal Testing
  • Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill
  • Animal Welfare Commitments
  • Animal Welfare
  • Arms Exports
  • Asylum accommodation conditions (Napier and Penally Barracks)
  • Australia Trade and ISDS
  • BT Strike
  • Baby Loss
  • Badgers and Bovine TB
  • Beer Duty
  • Bomb Disposal and Whales
  • CEE Bill
  • COP26: Global Ambition
  • Caged Farm Animals
  • Calories in Restaurants
  • Cash Availability and Acceptance
  • Cats in Kept Animals Bill
  • Channel 4
  • Child Poverty
  • Cladding, Leaseholders & The Fire Safety Bill
  • Conversion Therapy
  • Coronavirus: Provision of Tests
  • Coronavirus: Test and Trace
  • Crime Not Compliment campaign
  • Dangerous Dogs Act
  • Dementia Diagnosis and Research
  • Diabetes
  • Driven Grouse Shooting
  • Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act
  • Elections Act
  • Elephants and Ivory Sales
  • Endometriosis and PCOS
  • Energy Prices and Net Zero
  • Environment Bill: Ancient Woodland Standard
  • Flexible Working
  • Food Production Standards
  • Fox Hunting
  • Fuel Duty and Prices
  • Fuel Poverty
  • Funding of Fire Services
  • Gambling Regulation
  • Gamebird Battery Cages
  • Green Boilers
  • HIV
  • Hate Crime (Misogyny)
  • Health and Care Act: Workforce
  • Human Rights Defenders
  • Islamophobia
  • Kept Animals Bill
  • Kept Animals Bill
  • Meadows
  • Medical Cannabis
  • Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
  • Myanmar: Military Coup
  • Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
  • Neonicotinoids
  • New Plan for Immigration and Nationality and Borders Bill
  • Ocean Protection
  • Oil Drilling & Cambo Oil Field
  • Operose and Centene
  • Overseas Operations Bill
  • PCSC Bill Part 3 (Protests)
  • PPE Contracts Judicial Reviews
  • Peat
  • Persecution of Christian Women
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
  • Primates as Pets
  • Proportional Property Tax Proposal
  • Protection of Hedgerows
  • Protection of Retail Workers
  • Puppy Smuggling
  • Radiotherapy
  • SEND Funding
  • Scope Briefing on Disability
  • Settled Status
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Social Care Cap
  • Storm Overflows
  • Trophy Hunting
  • Uplands
  • VAT on Electric Vehicle Charging in Public Places
  • VAWG Worldwide
  • Vagrancy Act 1824
  • Visa-Free Work Permits for Creative Professionals
  • Waste and Recycling

Neil O'Brien MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

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Promoted by A Douas on behalf of Neil O'Brien, both at 24 Nelson Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9AY,
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