All but two of the 150 Dutch MPs yesterday supported a motion standing up for biomedical research and condemning animal rights extremism. Christian Democrat MP Henk Jan Ormel had filed the motion during a parliamentarian debate on animal welfare. The only two MPs not to support the motion represent the Party for the Animals.

Following the UK government’s commitment to crack down on animal rights extremism with better laws and policing, the situation here is much improved. But unfortunately we have seen extremism displaced to other countries.

Just last week, there was another appalling firebomb attack on the home of respected Californian researcher Professor Edythe London.

In Belgium, there have been 11 extremist attacks since the beginning of the year, including an arson attack on an animal research facility at Hasselt University. But a worrying development in neighbouring Netherlands, seen by many to mirror the difficulties previously faced by Oxford University in building its new Bioscience Centre, has led to the Dutch determination to act.

In early January, project developer Van der Looy withdrew from ScienceLink, a new biosciences park to be developed in Venray in the southeast of the country. Managers of Van der Looy had been threatened and their homes covered with slogans against research involving animals.

Over the following weeks a broad coalition was established of patients, scientists and industry organisations. The coalition wrote to the Dutch government urging it to stand up for biomedical research, to take strong measures against animal rights extremists and to explain the scientific and social importance of research involving animals to the Dutch public.

A response from the Dutch government to the letter and the motion is awaited.