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 />
■ <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> current regulati<strong>on</strong>s combine de<strong>on</strong>tological and c<strong>on</strong>sequentialist elements:<br />
– there is a de facto ban <strong>on</strong> the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> specific species, the prohibiti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> causing some<br />
forms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pain and certain types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>;<br />
– within the ’permitted’ area, where reas<strong>on</strong>s are weighed and balanced, the regulati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
are c<strong>on</strong>sequentialist but not utilitarian, placing restricti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> the type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> goals that<br />
may be pursued.<br />
■ Licences are thus granted <strong>on</strong> a case by case basis where weighing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal suffering in<br />
relati<strong>on</strong> to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> goal is <strong>on</strong>e aspect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the cost-benefit assessment, and where<br />
other c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s, such as de<strong>on</strong>tological c<strong>on</strong>straints, are taken into account.<br />
■ What some people might regard as costs, for example harm to most invertebrates or<br />
painless death, are not regulated in the UK.<br />
3.62 We return in Chapter 13 to a more detailed discussi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the regulatory framework in the<br />
UK and, in Chapters 14 and 15, to further moral c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>. Here we c<strong>on</strong>clude that there<br />
are several ways in which morally relevant features can be taken into account, depending <strong>on</strong><br />
whether they are c<strong>on</strong>sidered in the c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a c<strong>on</strong>sequentialist, de<strong>on</strong>tological or hybrid<br />
framework. We have illustrated this analysis by focusing <strong>on</strong> the capacity for pain. It might<br />
also be possible to combine, for example, de<strong>on</strong>tological frameworks with the morally<br />
relevant criteri<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> higher cognitive capacities, in which case <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that are merely<br />
capable <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sentience might not qualify as moral subjects. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se and other approaches would<br />
clearly require further development and justificati<strong>on</strong>, which is bey<strong>on</strong>d the scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this<br />
chapter. Our primary aim has been to illustrate the mechanism by which morally relevant<br />
features functi<strong>on</strong> in different frameworks.<br />
What role does the unavailability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternatives play in the justificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<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>?<br />
3.63 We have said that <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the important aspects in the ethical evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <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> is whether the <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> goal could be achieved by other means, and, if not, what the<br />
reas<strong>on</strong>s might be. One resp<strong>on</strong>dent to the C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> remarked:<br />
CHAPTER 3 ETHICAL ISSUES RAISED BY ANIMAL RESEARCH<br />
‘"By law in the UK, <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> can <strong>on</strong>ly be used for <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> if there is no other way <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
obtaining the informati<strong>on</strong>" … If <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> alternatives is not meaningfully supported<br />
by the Government, how is it possible to follow the law? How can an investigator know<br />
whether there is an alternative way <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> obtaining the relevant informati<strong>on</strong> if the study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
alternatives is so poorly funded?’<br />
Pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essor David DéGrazia<br />
3.64 We discuss the potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternatives in more detail in Chapters 11 and 12. For now, we<br />
note that this comment raises at least two important issues. First, alternatives are developed<br />
primarily by industry, academia and relevant charities. Although the UK Government also<br />
provides some funding for the development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternatives (see Box 11.3), it may be<br />
especially important to be clear about its resp<strong>on</strong>sibilities c<strong>on</strong>cerning the development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
alternatives as it is the authority that grants licences for the c<strong>on</strong>duct <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>,<br />
much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which is publicly funded. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Government also c<strong>on</strong>tributes significantly to the<br />
demand for animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, for example, through regulatory requirements established by<br />
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Trade and Industry (DTI) and other<br />
departments (see also paragraphs 13.48-13.52).<br />
26 See Animal Procedures Committee (2003) Review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cost-Benefit Assessment in the Use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Animals in Research (L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong>:<br />
Home Office).<br />
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