A motion agreed unanimously by the London Assembly today calls on the Greater London Authority (GLA) Group not to purchase cleaning products that have been tested on animals.
Instead the GLA, Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority are urged to purchase only cleaning products which have been certified as not tested on animals by Cruelty Free International.
Jenny Jones AM, who proposed the motion said:
“London is a city of animal lovers with an ethos of care and we need to bring London’s government in line with those principles. There is no justification to harm animals in the production of household cleaning products and we must ensure that the GLA group acts to ban these animal-tested products.”
“It is high time the Mayor made good on his 2009 commitment to ensure that City Hall cleaning products comply with the Humane Household Product Standard.”
Joanne McCartney AM, who seconded the motion, said:
“London should be leading the way and we need to ensure that we are not using any animal-tested cleaning products. Enfield Council was the first local authority in the UK to adopt this policy and make it a success. We need to follow that initiative and ensure these harmful products are not used across the GLA group.”
Andrew Boff AM, who amended the motion, said:
“Switching to cruelty free products does not mean spending more taxpayer’s money. We can be ethical and economical at the same time.”
The full text of the amended motion agreed at today’s meeting reads as follows:
“This Assembly welcomes the commitment by the Government to ban the use of animals to test household products, and supports Cruelty Free International in its campaigning to end such testing.
This Assembly calls on the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade and Transport for London to only purchase cleaning products, where suitable products are available and subject to best value considerations, which have been certified by Cruelty Free International as not tested on animals under the Humane Standards for use in all buildings for which they are directly responsible for cleaning. Where cleaning is conducted on their behalf by an outside contractor, this condition should be added to the next tender specification when it is published.”
Notes for Editors:
- Watch the webcast.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.