Rise in UK Animal Experiments

(c) BUAV/R&D

The annual statistics for UK animal experiments in 2003 statistics, according to the Government's own figures, reveal a 2% increase in the number of procedures (to 2.8 million experiments) and a 2.4% rise in the number of animals used. Shockingly, the statistics also reveal a massive 21% increase in the number of experiments on non-human primates. This is the largest number of animal experiments in the UK since 1994.

Leading anti-vivisection campaigners the British Union for the Abolition of
Vivisection (BUAV) have criticised the Government for its "utter failure to tackle the issue of animal experiments."
(c) BUAV
The BUAV also challenged the Home Office Minister, Caroline Flint, to publish
full statistics including the "missing millions" of animals who are bred for the vivisection industry but killed as 'surplus to requirements' and are currently excluded from the published statistics.

The following statistics make depressing reading:

• 2.4% rise in number of animals, representing almost 66,000 more animals

• 2% rise in number of experiments

• A massive 21% increase in experiments on non-human primates

• 8% in number of experiments using genetically modified animals

• 53% increase in experiments for food additives

• 37% increase in use of techniques causing physical trauma, on top of a 45%
  increase in this area last year

• 3% increase in experiments with no anaesthetic (61% of procedures conducted with no anaesthetic)

• 82% increase in procedures causing thermal injury

Nicky Gordon, the BUAV's Science Officer said,  "This shocking rise, particularly in the number of non-human primates used in experiments, and the alarming increase in the use of genetically modified animals, is a shameful reflection of this government's utter failure to tackle the controversial issue of animal experiments. Non-human primates are our closest relatives and their capacity to suffer, experience stress and feel pain is clear for all to see. Subjecting them to medical research and toxicology experiments which require them to undergo brain surgery and swallow poisons is abhorrent and should be ended immediately. 220 MPs recently called for the end of the use of primates in neurological research. This seems to have fallen on deaf ears judging by today's shocking increase. The government is stuck in a policy vacuum on vivisection; meanwhile the lab animal death toll continues to go up and up."

(c) BUAV

BUAV