LONDON, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Analysis shows Government spends just 66p per animal on replacement techniques
Figures released by the Home Office reveal a continuing rise in the number of animal procedures despite a Government pledge to reduce animal use. Analysis by Humane Society International/UK shows that for every animal used in a UK laboratory last year, the Government spent as little as 66p developing non-animal replacement methods (reflected by data in the latest annual report of The National Center for the 3Rs and responses to parliamentary questions by Caroline Lucas, MP).
In 2012, 4.11 million procedures began on 4.03 million animals including rabbits, fish, monkeys, rodents, dogs and horses - the highest level since the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act was introduced in 1986.
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HSI works globally to promote modern, human-relevant approaches in safety testing and biomedical research. Troy Seidle, HSI's director of research and toxicology, said:
"Despite a Government pledge to reduce animal experiments and repeated claims that animals are only used when absolutely necessary, millions of mice, monkeys, rabbits, fish, dogs and other animals still suffer in UK laboratories. The excuse that this level of animal use benefits medical research is wearing thin. Increasingly, scientists are questioning the human-relevance of animal models, pointing to the need to invest in advanced, non-animal techniques to improve medical progress. Britain should be a world leader in developing this cutting-edge research, yet Government spending on 21st century, non-animal replacement research remains woefully inadequate at 66p per animal in a UK laboratory. For human health and animal protection, we must do better than that."
The latest increase stands in stark contrast to animal use by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, which has declined by more than 50 percent since the 1986 Act to around one million procedures in 2012, while use by university and government laboratories has more than doubled over the same period.
HSI/UK calls on the British Government to make good on its pledge of a national reduction strategy "to reduce the use of animals in scientific research" (published May 2010, 'The Coalition: Our Programme for Government' pg 18). Some 182 cross-party MPS signed EDM no.435 supporting the reduction pledge.
Media contact: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org, +44(0)7989-972-423
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