The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
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T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
Discussi<strong>on</strong> and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Introducti<strong>on</strong><br />
15.1 More can and must be d<strong>on</strong>e to improve the quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the debate about <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> those who oppose such <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> accuse those in favour <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> acting without<br />
any legitimate ethical motives, and vice versa. We hope that the discussi<strong>on</strong> in Chapter 14<br />
has helped to show that such generalisati<strong>on</strong>s are mistaken, and that a highly complex<br />
picture emerges when the various positi<strong>on</strong>s are taken seriously.<br />
15.2 We observed that the positi<strong>on</strong>s are not categorically distinct, but should rather be viewed<br />
as positi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> a spectrum. Within this spectrum there is a significant area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> comm<strong>on</strong><br />
ground, shared by all members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Working Party, despite their differences with regard<br />
to other issues. We describe this area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> agreement below in the form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a c<strong>on</strong>sensus<br />
statement. Several practical implicati<strong>on</strong>s that follow are explained in more detail in the<br />
c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s which are based <strong>on</strong> the recogniti<strong>on</strong> that all animal<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> needs to be justified. We address:<br />
■ ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> improving the quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> debate about <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in society<br />
(paragraphs 15.22–15.52);<br />
■ the role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> legislati<strong>on</strong> and regulati<strong>on</strong> (paragraphs 15.53–15.56);<br />
■ the development and implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Three Rs (paragraphs 15.57–15.62); and<br />
■ a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> more specific issues, which include:<br />
• ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> motivating and m<strong>on</strong>itoring approaches to reducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> (paragraphs 15.64–15.67),<br />
CHAPTER 15 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
• issues raised by the possibility that <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> is duplicated (paragraphs 15.65–15.70),<br />
• the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> GM <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> (paragraphs 15.71–15.75),<br />
• the scientific validity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal experimentati<strong>on</strong> (paragraphs 15.76–15.80),<br />
• toxicity testing (paragraphs 15.81–15.83),<br />
• problems in harm<strong>on</strong>ising internati<strong>on</strong>al test guidelines (paragraphs 15.84–15.87), and<br />
• UK <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers commissi<strong>on</strong>ing or undertaking <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> abroad (paragraphs 15.88-15.91).<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sensus statement by all members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Working Party<br />
Research <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> and other uses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
15.3 It is important to c<strong>on</strong>sider the ethical issues raised by animal experimentati<strong>on</strong> in the wider<br />
c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the other uses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in society, and to take into account:<br />
■ the impact <strong>on</strong> the lives and welfare <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that different uses have;<br />
■ the broader c<strong>on</strong>sequences if there were a ban <strong>on</strong> using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in specific circumstances;<br />
■ a comparis<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the benefits arising from the different uses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>; and<br />
■ the numbers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> involved.<br />
15.4 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> involvement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> cannot be justified simply by the fact that <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
are used or abused in other ways. Each use requires special c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>. Members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
Working Party noted during their own discussi<strong>on</strong>s, and in c<strong>on</strong>sidering resp<strong>on</strong>ses to the<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong>, that views <strong>on</strong> animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> were not always c<strong>on</strong>sistent with views <strong>on</strong> the<br />
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