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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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| Court review for animal testing | Court review for animal testing |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The UK government is being taken to court over its duty to cut suffering to lab animals, as figures show another rise in animal tests. | The UK government is being taken to court over its duty to cut suffering to lab animals, as figures show another rise in animal tests. |
| News of the judicial review coincided with the release of official Home Office figures showing a moderate rise in animal experiments last year. | News of the judicial review coincided with the release of official Home Office figures showing a moderate rise in animal experiments last year. |
| A total of three million procedures were carried out on animals in 2006, a rise of 4% on the previous year. | A total of three million procedures were carried out on animals in 2006, a rise of 4% on the previous year. |
| Scientists said tests were necessary to help cure life-threatening diseases. | Scientists said tests were necessary to help cure life-threatening diseases. |
| Home Office minister Meg Hillier commented: "Where animal research is the only option, we will continue to ensure that the balance between animal welfare and scientific advancement is maintained." | Home Office minister Meg Hillier commented: "Where animal research is the only option, we will continue to ensure that the balance between animal welfare and scientific advancement is maintained." |
| However, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) announced it was taking the Government to the High Court in London on Tuesday over the fate of laboratory animals. | However, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) announced it was taking the Government to the High Court in London on Tuesday over the fate of laboratory animals. |
| The case will seek a declaration that the government has failed to ensure animal suffering in Home Office licensed laboratories is kept to a minimum. The judge will be asked to order the Home Office to re-examine its licensing regulations. | The case will seek a declaration that the government has failed to ensure animal suffering in Home Office licensed laboratories is kept to a minimum. The judge will be asked to order the Home Office to re-examine its licensing regulations. |
| name="story"> class="bodl" href="#map">See how the number of tests have changed over the years | |
| In total, 2.95 million animals were used in procedures last year in England, Scotland and Wales. | In total, 2.95 million animals were used in procedures last year in England, Scotland and Wales. |
| The majority of procedures - 83% - involved mice, rats and other rodents. The remainder involved primarily fish (9%), birds (4%) and reptiles/amphibians (1%). | The majority of procedures - 83% - involved mice, rats and other rodents. The remainder involved primarily fish (9%), birds (4%) and reptiles/amphibians (1%). |
| Dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates receive special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. These were used in less than half of 1% of the procedures. | Dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates receive special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. These were used in less than half of 1% of the procedures. |
| Professor Dominic Wells, from Imperial College London's department of medicine, put the major part of the 4% rise down to an increase in the use of genetically modified (GM) animals, "primarily GM mice". | Professor Dominic Wells, from Imperial College London's department of medicine, put the major part of the 4% rise down to an increase in the use of genetically modified (GM) animals, "primarily GM mice". |
| The use of GM animals has more than quadrupled since 1995. In 2006, they were used in 1.04 million procedures - an 8% rise on 2005 figure. | The use of GM animals has more than quadrupled since 1995. In 2006, they were used in 1.04 million procedures - an 8% rise on 2005 figure. |
| John Richmond, head of the Home Office's scientific procedure division, told journalists: "This is the fifth increase in a row and we think it now signals the previous downward trend (in the number of overall procedures) has been reserved by the increase of use of genetically altered animals." | John Richmond, head of the Home Office's scientific procedure division, told journalists: "This is the fifth increase in a row and we think it now signals the previous downward trend (in the number of overall procedures) has been reserved by the increase of use of genetically altered animals." |
| Alistair Kent, director of the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) said the statistics were good news for patients with serious diseases. He commented: "Each experiment brings the day closer when we no longer need to use animals, because then we will know enough to work safely with patients." | Alistair Kent, director of the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) said the statistics were good news for patients with serious diseases. He commented: "Each experiment brings the day closer when we no longer need to use animals, because then we will know enough to work safely with patients." |
| But the BUAV and others criticise what they say is a fundamental failure on the part of the government to ensure the use of animals in laboratories was reduced and their suffering minimised. | But the BUAV and others criticise what they say is a fundamental failure on the part of the government to ensure the use of animals in laboratories was reduced and their suffering minimised. |
| The 4% rise in total procedures represents the greatest increase in five years, and the highest number since 1991, BUAV said. The number of procedures undertaken on laboratory animals in 2005 was just under 2.9 million, a rise of about 1.4% on the previous year. | The 4% rise in total procedures represents the greatest increase in five years, and the highest number since 1991, BUAV said. The number of procedures undertaken on laboratory animals in 2005 was just under 2.9 million, a rise of about 1.4% on the previous year. |
| Court date | Court date |
| Michael Balls, emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Nottingham, was an adviser to Margaret Thatcher's during the drafting of the 1986 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. | Michael Balls, emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Nottingham, was an adviser to Margaret Thatcher's during the drafting of the 1986 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. |
| The act was an attempt to reform rules on animal testing, making individual research projects, as well as scientists, subject to specific approval. | The act was an attempt to reform rules on animal testing, making individual research projects, as well as scientists, subject to specific approval. |
| "I don't think the Bill would have become law in the form that it did if it hadn't been believed by everybody that much more progress would have been made in the last 20 years," Professor Balls told the BBC News website. | "I don't think the Bill would have become law in the form that it did if it hadn't been believed by everybody that much more progress would have been made in the last 20 years," Professor Balls told the BBC News website. |
| "People accepted it on the basis of sincere promises that there would be fundamental changes, and I don't think those have happened." | "People accepted it on the basis of sincere promises that there would be fundamental changes, and I don't think those have happened." |
| Professor Balls, who is chairman of the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (Frame), an animal welfare charity, said it was "high time" the way animal experiments are licensed in this country was re-examined. | |
| The judicial review is due to start at 1030 BST on Tuesday at the High Court. The Home Office strongly disputes the claims by the BUAV. | The judicial review is due to start at 1030 BST on Tuesday at the High Court. The Home Office strongly disputes the claims by the BUAV. |
| "The UK runs the strictest animal testing regime in the world. Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, animal procedures are only allowed where the research is essential, there is no other way of obtaining the information, and suffering will be kept to an absolute minimum," a spokesperson said. | "The UK runs the strictest animal testing regime in the world. Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, animal procedures are only allowed where the research is essential, there is no other way of obtaining the information, and suffering will be kept to an absolute minimum," a spokesperson said. |
| "The Home Office carries out its regulatory responsibilities under the Act with great care and strongly contests the claims made by the BUAV." | "The Home Office carries out its regulatory responsibilities under the Act with great care and strongly contests the claims made by the BUAV." |
| The three "R's" | The three "R's" |
| But Michelle Thew, chief executive of Buav countered: "The government's handling of the entire animal experiment licensing system is deeply flawed. | But Michelle Thew, chief executive of Buav countered: "The government's handling of the entire animal experiment licensing system is deeply flawed. |
| "The Home Office is this week charged with ignoring its duty to ensure laboratory animal suffering is kept to a minimum and pulling the wool over the public's eyes about the numbers of experiments that cause substantial animal suffering in laboratories up and down the UK." | "The Home Office is this week charged with ignoring its duty to ensure laboratory animal suffering is kept to a minimum and pulling the wool over the public's eyes about the numbers of experiments that cause substantial animal suffering in laboratories up and down the UK." |
| The so-called three "R's" are supposed to underpin laboratory rules and culture. They emphasise the need to reduce suffering and find replacement methods that do not involve animals. | The so-called three "R's" are supposed to underpin laboratory rules and culture. They emphasise the need to reduce suffering and find replacement methods that do not involve animals. |
| The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has launched a national survey of scientists who use animals in their research. | The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has launched a national survey of scientists who use animals in their research. |
| The aim of the survey is to determine what scientists actually know about the three "R's" and how they use them in their everyday work. | The aim of the survey is to determine what scientists actually know about the three "R's" and how they use them in their everyday work. |
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