Burt has declares support for ban on testing on animals

9.43.09pm GMT Mon 6th Nov 2006

West Midlands Liberal Democrats MP, Lorely Burt

West Midlands Liberal Democrats MP, Lorely Burt has declared her support for a campaign to keep a ban in place on testing cosmetic products on animals.

The ban, in force throughout the UK since 1997, is under threat because of European proposals requiring 30,000 chemicals already on the market to undergo new safety tests, using millions of animals.

Lorely Burt MP said "At present, conscientious consumers are able to boycott animal-tested cosmetics by choosing from a wide range of cruelty-free brands currently on the market. But if the new proposals go through without key amendments, it would become simply impossible to buy cosmetics that haven't been tested on animals.

"That is why I have signed the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection's declaration calling on MEPs and Member States to make sure they do everything in their power to amend the proposed legislation where necessary to keep cosmetics cruelty free."

The BUAV have already engaged 25 leading cosmetics retailers and trade groups including Marks and Spencer, Boots, The Body Shop, Lush and the Co-op to support the call to exempt cosmetic products from the requirement fro re-testing using animals.