Press Release - July 1999
Statistics Of Scientific Procedures On Animals 1998
23 July 1999 Tel: 020 7273 4600
The number of scientific procedures last year was 2.66 million, a rise
of just under one per cent from 1997, according to Home Office statistics
published today.
With the exception of 1997, the total represents the lowest number of
scientific procedures on animals in the UK since 1955.
Other findings in Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living
Animals Great Britain, 1998 include:
- Mice, rats and other rodents were involved in the largest number of
procedures (85%).
- A decrease of around 6 per cent in procedures involving non-human
primates from 3,900 to 3,700.
- A 13 per cent increase in the number of procedures for veterinary
research.
- Pharmaceutical research accounted for 470,000 procedures, cancer research
293,000 procedures and immunology 278,000.
- The majority of procedures (73%) involved normal animals; animals
with a harmful genetic defect were involved in 10% of procedures and
the remainder were genetically modified animals.
- Ninety-nine per cent of procedures involving genetically modified
animals or animals with harmful genetic defects were performed on mice
or rats.
- Procedures for the production of monoclonal, or identically cloned,
antibodies fell by 53%, following the November 1997 announcement that
one animal-based method for producing these antibodies was to be phased
out.
- This year's statistics are the last that will include any cosmetics
testing following the announcement last November that an end to ingredient
testing had been secured. Only 590 such procedures were carried out
in 1998.
Home Office Minister George Howarth said:
"The total number of scientific procedures on animals in the UK is
at one of the lowest levels since the mid-1950s.
"We are committed to applying the principles of the 3 Rs to all animal
testing in the UK - replacing animal use wherever possible, reducing
the number of animals needed for a particular purpose and refining
the procedures to minimise suffering.
"Animal procedures are fundamental to the progress and advancement
of medical, veterinary and other scientific research, and play an essential
role in assessing the safety of new chemicals and products to humans,
animals and the environment.
"The figures reflect the growing importance of genetically modified
animals in allowing new areas of medical and other scientific research
to be explored. Such work provides the potential for investigating,
and hopefully finding treatments for, diseases such as cancer, cystic
fibrosis and multiple sclerosis. The use of genetically modified animals
also allows the quality of science in many areas of research and testing
to be improved."
Notes For Editors:
Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain,
1998 Cm 4418, priced £15.00, was laid before Parliament on 23
July 1999 and is available from the Stationery Office. Media copies are
available from Home Office press office on 0171 273 4640.
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates any experimental
or other scientific procedure applied to a 'protected animal' (all vertebrates,
except man, and one invertebrate species, Octopus vulgaris) which
may have the effect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distress or
lasting harm.
The genetic modification of 'protected animals' as well as their use
in experiments or other scientific procedures is strictly controlled under
the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The breeding of a genetically
modified animal is a regulated procedure and is included in the statistics
irrespective of whether the animal is subsequently used in another procedure.
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate assesses all applications
for new licences or amendments to existing licences in detail, and ensures
that only properly justified work is licensed. The Inspectorate's assessment
and inspection procedures ensure that the 3 Rs (replacement, reduction
and refinement) are properly reflected in all licensed work. (See Appendix
C of the statistics - Examples of Reduction, Refinement and Replacement.)
Since May 1997 the Government has announced a number of initiatives to
restrict the use of animals in scientific procedures, including:
- an end to the testing of cosmetic ingredients and products on animals;
- ruling out the use of animals to test tobacco or alcohol products;
- that no licences will be issued for the use of Great Apes (gorillas,
chimpanzees, pygmy chimpanzees and orang-utans);
- a requirement for ethical review processes in all designated
establishments from April 1999;
- an increase in the complement of the Animals (Scientific Procedures)
Inspectorate from 18 to 21;
- through the European Commission, pressure is being put on the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development to delete guideline 401 (the
LD50 test) from its list of regulatory safety tests;
- the phasing out of the use of ascitic animals in monoclonal antibody
production; and
- an increase in the number of animal welfare experts on the Animal
Procedures Committee.
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