Category: News; Radio Oxford; South TV
Date: 24.07.2006
Printable version
More than half of people surveyed in a poll commissioned by Newsnight believe
that taxpayers' money should not be used to help build more laboratories to carry
out tests on animals for medical research.
A total of 57% of respondents replied as above compared to 40% who thought it was
right that taxpayers' money be spent in this way. A further 3% said they did not
know.
The figures are revealed on the day the Home Office published its annual figures
on animal testing.
According to the figures the number of experiments on animals
carried out in the UK rose by 41,300 last year to 2,896,000.
The full results from the ICM poll will be revealed in a Vivisection debate to be
broadcast on Newsnight this Thursday on BBC TWO at 10.30pm.
Newsnight and BBC Oxford are co-hosting the debate in Oxford with a distinguished
panel of national experts representing both sides of the debate.
Speakers include
controversial activist Mel Broughton representing SPEAK (Stop the Primate
Laboratory at Oxford University) and Professor Tipu Aziz from Pro-Test, who campaign
in favour of continued animal testing and in support of scientific research.
It
is thought to be the first time that the pair have debated publicly on the issue.
The debate will be recorded for broadcast in full on Newsnight, and will also be
transmitted on BBC Radio Oxford and BBC South Today the following day.
It will
also be available on the BBC Oxford website at bbc.co.uk/oxford.
The evening will begin with a report setting the scene for the debate outlining
how Oxford has found itself at the centre of a controversy about the building of
new animal vivisection laboratories; the lengths that both sides are prepared to
go to and how things are likely to pan out assuming that opposing groups will
never agree.
The debate will cover a wide range of issues surrounding animal
testing and will follow roughly the same sort of format as the BBC Question Time
programme, although there will be less audience participation.
Gavin Esler will lead the discussion, putting his own questions and those emailed by
BBC Newsnight, BBC Radio Oxford and BBC South Today viewers and listeners to the
panel.
There will also be a small selection of other invited guests with points
of view on the subject, who will be sitting in the front row and will also take
part in some of the debate.
Notes to Editors
1,001 people were polled from 21 to 23 July 2006.
Panel members (to be confirmed):
Professor Tipu Aziz - Consultant Neuro Surgeon and leading member of Pro-Test
Dr Sophie Petit-Zeman - Association of Medical Research Charities
Dr Richard Barker - Director General, Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry
Mel Broughton - SPEAK
Andre Menache - Veterinary Surgeon, Animal Aid
Kathy Archibald - Europeans for Medical Progress.
KR
