If testing cosmetics on animals in the UK is considered too cruel to continue, should animal testing in medical and veterinary research be allowed?

The UK Government has fulfilled its election promise of stopping the use of animals for testing cosmetic products and their ingredients.

The last remaining companies holding licenses to carry out tests have agreed to give them up and no new ones will be issued, effectively banning the practice.

However only 0.1% out of the 2.7m animals used in laboratory tests in the UK will be affected by this ban.

Do you think there should be a total ban or do you think animal testing is still necessary?

With one victory notched up, animal campaigners will now undoubtedly move on to try and stop the use of animals for testing in medical and veterinary research.

Concerns have recently been raised about the use of genetically modified animals in scientific research. In some cases animals are "designed" to die from a specific disease.

Doctors believe such experiments are vital in trying to understand more about serious illnesses like heart disease.

What do you think?

Should animal testing be banned completely?

Your reaction in full

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