NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE REPLACEMENT, REFINEMENT AND REDUCTION OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH

That this House is delighted that the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has received a £1 million cash boost, increasing its budget to £2.4 million to research 11 new 3Rs projects; thanks the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and The Wellcome Trust for their support; is pleased that the importance of 3Rs research has been acknowledged, given Dagmar Roth-Behrendt MEP's recent statement that the deadline for the 2009 EU-wide marketing ban and animal testing ban on cosmetic ingredients will not be delayed; and asks the Government to continue to acknowledge the value of 3Rs research and further demonstrate its support by continuing this level of funding.