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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Animal procedures show small rise | Animal procedures show small rise |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The number of scientific procedures involving animals in the UK showed a small rise last year, despite a pledge by the government to reduce them. | The number of scientific procedures involving animals in the UK showed a small rise last year, despite a pledge by the government to reduce them. |
| Figures show 4.12 million procedures were carried out with animals, a rise of 0.3% on the previous year. | Figures show 4.12 million procedures were carried out with animals, a rise of 0.3% on the previous year. |
| Animal welfare campaigners said the government had "broken its promise" to cut the number of tests. | Animal welfare campaigners said the government had "broken its promise" to cut the number of tests. |
| The Home Office statistics show more than half of the procedures entail breeding genetically modified animals. | The Home Office statistics show more than half of the procedures entail breeding genetically modified animals. |
| Overall there was a 6% increase in breeding GM animals and a 5% decrease in other procedures. | Overall there was a 6% increase in breeding GM animals and a 5% decrease in other procedures. |
| There were 3.08 million procedures on mice (75% of the total), 507,373 using fish (12%) and 226,265 with rats (6%). The remaining 5% includes birds, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, horses, sheep and cattle. | There were 3.08 million procedures on mice (75% of the total), 507,373 using fish (12%) and 226,265 with rats (6%). The remaining 5% includes birds, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, horses, sheep and cattle. |
| In 2010, the coalition government pledged to promote higher standards of animal welfare. | In 2010, the coalition government pledged to promote higher standards of animal welfare. |
| They stated: "We will end the testing of household products on animals and work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research." | They stated: "We will end the testing of household products on animals and work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research." |
| Michelle Thew, chief executive of campaign group the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said: "The government has now failed for a third year on its 2010 post-election pledge to work to reduce the number of animals used in research. | Michelle Thew, chief executive of campaign group the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said: "The government has now failed for a third year on its 2010 post-election pledge to work to reduce the number of animals used in research. |
| "As a result, millions of animals continue to suffer and die in our laboratories." | "As a result, millions of animals continue to suffer and die in our laboratories." |
| Prof Roger Morris of King's College London highlighted that excluding the breeding of GM animals, 2013 in fact saw a 5% reduction in "what we scientists would call an experiment". | |
| The accompanying rise in breeding numbers, Prof Morris said, demonstrates the contribution of modern genetic techniques. "We're modelling more complex diseases more accurately than before." |