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The government has banned giving licences for animal testing of chemicals used as ingredients in cosmetics products.
A ban against animal testing for makeup and its ingredients was brought in in 1998 and is still in place but the government said it had changed policy to match rules in the European Union (EU), a group of countries that the UK left in 2020.
The tests in question fell under EU chemical rules which state new chemicals need to be tested on animals to make sure they are safe for workers to handle.
However, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has now said that no new licences will be granted.
What has the government announced?
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Rabbits are some of the animals used in scientific testing
A recent court ruling said the government changed a policy on animal testing to match with EU chemical rules.
This decision had been heavily criticised by animal rights group Cruelty Free International (CFI) and by more than 80 major beauty and cosmetic brands, including Body Shop and Boots.
They said that the news meant the government had in effect lifted the ban.
A ban on animal testing for makeup ingredients was introduced in 1998 and is still in place, but the government said it changed a policy to match rules in the European Union (EU).
In 2020, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), an EU agency which is in charge of chemical regulation, ruled that companies needed to test some ingredients used in cosmetics on animals to ensure they were safe for workers manufacturing the ingredients.
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Home Secretary Suella Braverman made the announcement in a statement
However, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has now announced that no new licences will be granted.
In a written statement to Parliament, Ms Braverman said: “The government recognises the public concern around the testing on animals of chemicals used as ingredients in cosmetics, and the new opportunities available to us to depart from the EU testing regime.
“I can confirm, therefore, that from today no new licences will be granted for animal testing of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products.
“The government is also engaging with the relevant companies to urgently determine a way forward on these legacy licences.”
What has been the response to the news?
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Animal rights and cosmetics groups welcomed the home secretary’s statement.
Dr Penny Hawkins from the RSPCA animal charity, said the public were strongly against the use of animals to test cosmetics.
She said that RSPCA research showed that 76% of UK adults are very concerned about the use of animals in scientific research and testing.
Dr Hawkins explained: “The outrage following the UK government’s decision to quietly follow European Union chemical testing rules really reinforces just how important this issue is to the public and we are pleased that outcry has been listened to.”
The Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) said the makeup industry “do not want any animal testing”.
Dr Emma Meredith from the CTPA, said that they “support the clarity and reassurance that this new ban will provide to the public”.
What is animal testing?
WATCH: What is animal testing?
Animal testing is when living animals are used in scientific research to test their reactions to how effective a medicine is or how safe a product is for people.
Testing on animals in the UK is legal but only allowed if the benefits gained from the research outweigh any animal suffering, for example when used to test medicines.
British law says a new medicine must be tested on two different types of animals – one a rodent and one a larger non rodent mammal – before being tested on humans.
Animal testing is also used for things like household cleaning products, agricultural chemicals and food additives.
About 3.06 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain in 2021.
This includes breeding animals as well as experiments.
The most common animals tested on are mice, birds, fish and rats.
Other animals that were used included guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, birds, goats, sheep and pigs.
Cats, dogs, horses and monkeys are classed as “specially protected species” – which means laboratories wanting to use them must show that no other species are suitable before they are allowed to use them.