Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in UK Continues to Question Recent Report that Pushed for Continued Vivisection on Primates

This follows the story posted yesterday that addressed the move in the UK by business and big pharmaceutical to push for more vivisection using primates. You can read more at: http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/12/
organizations-and-doctors-condemn-18.html

Glad to see their some push back.

Article:

Animal rights groups, scientists face off

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=
Science&article=UPI-1-20061213-18483800-bc-britain-
monkeys.xml


LONDON, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- An independent group in England says a "moral scientific case" exists for the use of monkeys in research.

Sir David Weatherall told The Telegraph four centers of excellence should be created to conduct experiments. He headed up a working group performing an 18-month analysis of research usage of primates like marmosets, tamarins and macaques.

Weatherall cautioned the group does not want to expand non-human primate research.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says members are convinced much more can be done to improve welfare of animals used in research. The organization wants disclosure of government statistics to shed light on animals used in experiments and the suffering that may ensue.

Dr. Vicky Robinson -- chief executive of the National Center for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research -- says Weatherall's group did not take the report far enough in trying to "map out priorities for development and adoption of new alternatives."

In the last 10 years, British research has used about 3,300 non-human primates, the paper said.