Debating the future of chemicals laws when the UK withdraws from the European Union, members of the House of Lords yesterday sent a very clear message to government to rule out duplicate animal tests.

Testing – including animal testing – has already been carried out to register chemicals as safe to use in the EU. If, as a result of the outcome of Brexit negotiations, companies are not able to access existing data, there is a very real risk that the same tests will have to be repeated.

We have been urging ministers to do everything they can to avoid this. To date they have given no commitment to no duplicate testing.

Speaking in the debate, The Lord Whitty said: “For many substances there has been animal testing in order to get the REACH authorisation, and that may not be available directly to people who are going to try and produce a parallel authorisation within the UK. It would indeed be an irony if some degree of duplication followed from the British decision to leave Europe, and we had to repeat them because we couldn't get hold of the information or were developing new products.”

Kerry Postlewhite, our Director of Public Affairs, said: “We thank The Lords Whitty and Fox for tabling their concerns and urge the government to act to avoid the unnecessary suffering of thousands of animals."