The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...

Foreword
<strong>The</strong> issues addressed in this Report have been a subject <strong>of</strong> intense public debate over at least the
past four hundred years. Feelings are strong on all sides <strong>of</strong> the issues, and in recent years reports
<strong>of</strong> violent action against those conducting animal <strong>research</strong> in the UK have brought the matter to
the forefront <strong>of</strong> public attention.
Members <strong>of</strong> the Working Party, like members <strong>of</strong> the public, hold many different and sometimes
opposing views. Nevertheless, the group has been able to conduct its inquiry in an atmosphere
conducive to gaining a better understanding <strong>of</strong> the scientific and ethical issues involved, and
avoiding the polarisation <strong>of</strong> views which has so <strong>of</strong>ten stifled proper debate. It is in this spirit that
we present our Report.
Throughout the Working Party’s meetings, many varied opinions were quite properly represented
and argued through, and we have tried to analyse the ethical bases on which different opinions
are held. A respect for the basis <strong>of</strong> beliefs different from one's own has enabled members <strong>of</strong> the
group to agree on a consensus statement and to present conclusions and recommendations
which, while not always necessarily representing the views <strong>of</strong> all, do as comprehensively as
possible <strong>of</strong>fer a clarification <strong>of</strong> the debate. Where widely different views are held, we have
sought to set them out as clearly as possible. This approach, we believe, should contribute to fair
and balanced discussions among individuals and to decision making by those in government or
other <strong>of</strong>ficial and regulatory bodies.
We have been conscious that conclusions about the use <strong>of</strong> <strong>animals</strong> involved in <strong>research</strong>, diverse
as this is, must be seen in the wider context <strong>of</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> <strong>animals</strong> in food, in clothing, as pets and
as working <strong>animals</strong> in farming and other occupations. Science, however, is progressing rapidly in
new technologies such as cloning, genetic modification and also in the development <strong>of</strong>
alternatives to the use <strong>of</strong> <strong>animals</strong>. <strong>The</strong> Report sets out in some detail the range <strong>of</strong> scientific uses
<strong>of</strong> <strong>animals</strong> including the uses being made <strong>of</strong> these new advances. It considers the ethical issues <strong>of</strong>
<strong>research</strong> <strong>involving</strong> <strong>animals</strong> in the light <strong>of</strong> these developments, the implications for regulation,
and the provision <strong>of</strong> information and education.
As Chair <strong>of</strong> the Working Group, I would like to record my thanks to all members, who have
worked so hard to produce a Report which, I hope, will genuinely provide helpful analysis and
insight into this topic, <strong>of</strong>ten at great personal cost. I also thank the <strong>Council</strong> for their help and
advice throughout the two years <strong>of</strong> the Group's work. We all owe a great debt also to the
Secretariat who have taken the burden <strong>of</strong> producing a long and comprehensive Report, agreed
as fair and balanced by the Group as well as by those who so helpfully read and refereed early
drafts for us. I should like to pay special tribute to Harald Schmidt, Secretary to the Working Party,
whose skills and knowledge were invaluable.
We hope that the Report will be a useful starting point <strong>of</strong> reference for all those concerned with
this important issue in the time ahead.
Baroness Perry <strong>of</strong> Southwark
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