The UK government has announced it is planning to consult with the research community on how to provide more information to the public explaining scientific work, at the same time as maintaining appropriate confidentiality. The announcement came in a government response to the Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, published January 20.
The government agreed with the Select Committee Report, published July 2002, that there is a continuing need for animal experiments, both in applied research and in research aimed purely at extending knowledge. The Report had also suggested there was a need for greater openness about the use of animals in scientific procedures and that section 24 (the "confidentiality clause") of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 — requiring Home Office and government officials not to reveal details about their work to a third party — should be repealed.
In its response, ...
