National Antivisection Society
Government's national 'non-animal' research centre is a farce
The Government’s new National Centre for the Replacement, Refineement and Reduction of Animals in Research, announced today, will exclude all animal welfare organisations and be overseen by the powerful and influential pro-vivisection body, the Medical Research Council.
"The proposal is a sham and a farce. In 2002 the House of Lords Select Committee on Animal Experiments supported a proposal by NAVS to develop a national centre for non-animal research. Now the Government has hijacked the proposal - but made it a centre which will explore both animal and non-animal research.
"The commitment, which the public wants, to replace animal experiments is being cut by a third. The majority of expenditure will fund more animal experiments.
"The Government is coming under increasing pressure to meet some - or any - of its election promises to increase animal protection. A recent poll showed 90 percent of the UK public want to see more done to replace animals in experiments - this move looks like a cynical public relations exercise to con these voters,” said Jan Creamer, chief executive of NAVS.
For a full report of the Westminster conference, click here
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