The University of Bristol is the only UK university that hasn’t made details about the number of animals it uses in experiments available to the public. Bristol has refused to give details about the numbers of animals it uses or types of experiments it conducts after several Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from Cruelty Free International.

Cruelty Free International first asked the university for the number of animals it had used in experiments in 2014. The university said it would reveal numbers in 2015 after it installed new software which would record information about animals kept at its laboratories. But since then, requests in September 2015 and then November 2016 have also been rejected.

Universities are responsible for around 50% of all animal experiments in the UK. Under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986, every university carrying out animal experiments in the UK must keep records of the number of animals it uses. Bristol University says it has not collected the numbers even though it is legally obliged to do so. Cruelty Free International has been collecting animal testing stats from UK universities since 2014. Bristol is now the only university, out of about 67 that test on animals, that hasn’t given us their figures.

Dr Katy Taylor, Cruelty Free International Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, says: “The University of Bristol is currently standing out on its own as being way behind the rest of UK universities in terms of openness on animal experiments. All other UK universities are complying with their duties under the Freedom of Information Act by releasing relevant basic statistical information about their use of animals. We want to see an end to cruel and outdated animal experiments, but in the meantime, it is crucial for informed debate and for the public to be told about the experiments being conducted at Bristol University, which are largely funded, directly or indirectly, by their taxes.”