The UK’s licensing system is the tightest in the world and permits only essential research with clear medical benefits. To protect this important work, the Government recently published its strategy to tackle animal rights extremists and safeguard the scientific community.

The statistics, which provide an annual snapshot of scientific research involving animals, show that:

The number of scientific procedures started in 2003 was just over 2.79 million, a rise of about 2.2 per cent on 2002.

The number of animals used for the first time in 2003 was 2.72 million, a rise of 2.5 per cent on 2002.

The majority of procedures – 85 per cent – involved mice, rats and other rodents. Most of the remaining procedures involved fish (six per cent) and birds (four per cent).

Dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates, afforded special protection by the 1986 Act, were collectively used in less than one per cent of procedures. For the first time, the number of such animals used for the first time fell: eight per cent fewer were used than in 2002. Overall there has been a 27 per cent decrease in the use of animals in this group since 1995.

There has been a 24 per cent fall since 1995 in the number of non-human primates used for the first time.

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said:

"There remains a clear need for the use of animals in vital scientific research where no alternative is available. This type of research saves countless lives each year and the Government fully supports the efforts of scientists working to secure medical advances and public health improvements.

"The UK’s controls on the use of animals are amongst the tightest in the world. The Government is firmly committed to the ‘3 Rs’ – reducing the numbers of animals used, replacing animals wherever possible and refining scientific procedures involving animals – and improving animal welfare. Since 1997 the Government has introduced a number of initiatives to improve animal welfare, refine scientific procedures and minimise the number of animals used, and any suffering caused, including prohibiting animal procedures solely to test cosmetic, alcohol or tobacco products. The Government has recently established the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research to drive the search for alternatives to animal experiments.

"But let us not forget, this is essential, life-saving research. Scientists carrying out this work have been targeted by extremist groups and the Government has made clear that this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. We recently published plans to strengthen the law further to protect the scientific community, who have the Government’s full support."

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