§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further plans he has to stop the use of animals for testing cosmetics.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe Government have discussed with industry how best to eliminate the testing of cosmetics on animals without putting the public at risk. There has been some progress made in developing alternatives to skin and eye irritancy tests. The Government have called on the European Community to set 1998 as the target date for the replacement of all skin and eye irritancy tests, subject to there being validated non-animal alternatives.
The Government will continue to support work carried out by charitable bodies, academic institutions and industry to develop alternatives to animal testing.