Early Day Motion to Ban Primate Experimentation Before British Parliament

August 2003

As of 15 June 2003, 95 Members of the British Parliament had signed an Early Day Motion (number 1307) calling for a ban on all primate experimentation in the UK. An Early Day Motion (EDM) is a parliamentary procedure enabling a Member of Parliament (MP) to solicit cross-party support for potential future legislation. It has no force in law, but provides an indication to the Government of the strength of back-bench opinion (i.e., the support of rank-and-file members of parliament who do not hold Cabinet positions) on matters of public interest. Animal-friendly MP Norman Baker sponsored this EDM.

Britain already bans experiments on great apes, but the EDM under consideration advocates extending the ban to all primates. The EDM states that experiments on primates can no longer be justified in view of the important biological differences between human beings and other primates. In addition, the well-developed intellectual and social awareness of nonhuman primates makes it impossible for the animals' needs to be met in a laboratory setting, resulting in severe suffering. The EDM also notes public opposition to the practice of primate experimentation, and therefore urges the UK to adopt the Zero Option, "a total end to experiments on all primates."

We request our British members to monitor the progress of this EDM and express their encouragement to their MPs. A list of supporters can be found at:

http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=1307

If you are a UK reader, you can check on this site whether your MP is a signatory. Please contact him/her to express your thanks to supporters or to request your MP to sign on if he/she is not yet a signatory.