SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES ON ANIMALS AND THE USE OF NON-ANIMAL ALTERNATIVES

That this House is concerned that for the sixth successive year the number of scientific procedures on animals has steadily increased, reaching over 3.2 million in 2007, the highest level since 1991; notes that the use of animals in scientific procedures continues to outstrip the development of non-animal alternatives in spite of the valuable work of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and other organisations involved in the development and promotion of non-animal alternatives, replacing the need for animal testing and offering hope of humane scientific research; further notes that this year it is 50 years since the 3Rs approach (replacement, refinement and reduction) was first advocated; considers that progress towards implementing the 3Rs has been desperately slow; and urges the Government to introduce measures to deal with barriers to implementing non-animal alternatives, halt increases in the numbers of animals used, and encourage more widespread implementation of non-animal alternatives across all sectors involved in research.