The Home Office today (27 July 2010) published their annual report on research using animals in the UK, Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2009, detailing information about the use of protected animals in experimental or other scientific procedures during 2009.

Key points included:

1. Just over 3.6 million scientific procedures were started in Great Britain in 2009, falling 1% (-37,000) since 2008

2. Breeding to produce genetically modified (GM) animals and harmful mutants (HM) increased by 10% (+143,000) to 1.5 million procedures, accounted for by an increase for mice (+161,000).

3. Excluding such breeding, the numbers of procedures fell from 2.3 million to 2.1 million (-8% or -180,000).

4. For the first time, procedures using genetically normal animals were fewer than half the total (48%).

5. There was an increase of 9% in numbers of procedures involving mice, a fall of 7% for non human primates, and falls for most other species.

Dr Sophie Petit-Zeman, AMRC's head of external relations said:

'While it's good to see the number of animals used in medical research fall, it's important not to read too much into this: the important thing is that quality research for patient benefit is continuing, carried out to the highest standards of experimental practice and animal welfare. Reasons suggested for the 1% reduction in animal use since 2008 include economic constraints, the current stage of the drug development and testing cycle in the UK and increased use of GM animals as better disease models. While it is very difficult to unpick the contribution of such factors to a small change in numbers, the charity sector's commitment to the "3Rs" agenda of reduction, replacement and refinement should be reinforced by today's announcement, and the public rest assured that, for many reasons, animals are used in medical research only where absolutely necessary and their use replaced or refined wherever possible.'

27 July 2010