Many pointless, unnecessary animal experiments are carried out
Unnecessary animal experiments are very unlikely in the UK for the following reasons:
• The strict controls on animal research, in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, do not allow animals to be used to obtain information that is obtainable by other means.
• Research using animals is very expensive because the animals are costly to buy or breed, to house, and to care for, and the work itself is slow and labour intensive.
• Funds for biomedical research are limited, so each research proposal is rigorously assessed by panels of experts. Trivial, irrelevant or repetitive work will not attract funding.
IMAGE: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CHRISSTEER
