The increasing use of animal testing
Home Office figures have revealed the shocking levels of tests carried out on animals. Last year there were 3.1 million experiments conducted on animals, marking a 15-year high. A leading scientist, Michael Balls, emeritus professor at Nottingham University, has criticised the government for allowing scientists to carry out animal research, even when the benefits are dubious. He called for an urgent review of licensing arrangements.
The Home Office is facing legal action by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), for allegedly acting unlawfully and misleading the public in regards to animal experiments. The case centres on experiments carried out at Cambridge University in 2001. The experiments were licensed under the category of “moderate” suffering for the animals, but in reality, according to BUAV, they should have been classified as “substantial” suffering.
One would think that with the modern methods available to scientists now, they could find other ways of testing and research, rather than using animals. Professor Balls said in reference to animal experiments ,”As a scientist I’m entitled to believe in modern technology to deal with these problems, but I’m disappointed that more effort hasn’t been put into bringing numbers down.” It’s great to see a scientist with such an enlightened view, but unfortunately I feel he is swimming against the tide. Let’s hope I am wrong.
