Should experiments on animals be banned?

Young people debate animal cruelty with legislators

Follow the online debate at
www.HeadsUp.org.uk

Under-18s are tackling the emotive subject of animal cruelty in a secure and structured online debate, organised by the Hansard Society. Animal Cruelty – Who cares? will run from September 17 to October 5 2007 at www.HeadsUp.org.uk

The debate will focus on the following questions:

• What are your views on the intensive farming of battery chickens in this country? Do we look after intensively farmed animals in the correct way?
• Are we learning from previous mistakes when it comes to dealing with foot and mouth outbreaks?
• Is the renewed use of fur in the fashion industry cruel to animals?
• In your opinion which is most cruel – zoos or bullfighting or a circus? Is animal cruelty worse in other countries, or are our practices equally poor?

Legislators taking part online include:

• Lord Rooker – Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Nick Palmer MP – Member of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare
  
• Baroness Gale – Member of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare
  
• Elliot Morley MP – Member of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare and RSPCA vice president
  
• Glenis Willmott MEP – Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
  
• Ian Strachan – Head of the Animal Welfare Branch in the Scottish Government
  
• Ian Cawsey MP – RSPCA vice president
  
• Liz Lynne MEP – Member of the European Parliament interested in tackling animal cruelty
  
• John Bowis MEP – Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
  
• Bill Wiggin MP – Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.
  

Barry Griffiths, HeadsUp Manager, commented: “I’m really looking forward to reading what young people think about cruelty to animals and their interactions with the decision-makers. There’s still time for schools and young people out there to get involved and get their opinions across!”

HeadsUp is a vital resource for teaching the political literacy element of the Citizenship Curriculum and ensuring young people’s voices are heard by decision-makers. In addition to the forum where school students explore and debate the political issues and ideas that matter to them, there are teachers’ notes, ideas for classroom activities and background information for young people all available on the HeadsUp website.

Editors’ Notes

• HeadsUp (www.HeadsUp.org.uk) is an innovative website where under-18s debate political issues and processes. The site is a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform.
• Two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:
• Young People – If you are under 18 and want to get involved you need to email us at info@headsup.org.uk, specifying your preferred username and password. 
• Teachers – can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our online registration form 
• All HeadsUp forums are open to view and follow the debate. Participants will still need to register or login to post comments. 
• The project is jointly funded by the Ministry of Justice (former DCA) and the House of Commons. 
• Young people taking part in this HeadsUp Forum are available for interview. However, this may take some time to arrange due to the busy academic calendar]. For more information contact Virginia Gibbons, Communications Manager at the Hansard Society on 0207 438 1225 or 07812 765 552.
• At the end of the debate, a summary report detailing young people’s contributions will be distributed to officials at DEFRA, government ministers, MPs, AMs, MEPS, MSPs and relevant all-party groups in Parliament.
• 4000 individuals are currently registered with HeadsUp.