Publications and reference
Statistics
We have released statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures in Great Britain in 2006 - this does not include Northern Ireland.
Latest statistics
Statistics for 2006 - the main points
Just over 3.01 million scientific procedures were started in 2006, a rise of about 115,800 (4%) on 2005.
The increased animal use was mainly due to increases in the use of mice and fish, whilst the use of all other species was broadly similar or less than in 2005. There was increased use of both of these species for breeding purposes. The use of mice increased also for fundamental research, and fish for studies on the protection of man, animals and the environment.
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Mice, rats and other rodents were used in the majority of procedures; eighty-three percent of the total. Most of the remaining procedures used fish (9%), and birds (4%).
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Dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates, afforded special protection by the Act, were collectively used in less than one percent of all procedures.
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The number of procedures using non-human primates was 4,200 down by 450 (10%) from 2005, mainly due to a decrease in old-world primates. The number of animals used was 3,108.
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Breeding procedures accounted for over a third (37%) of all the procedures conducted in 2006, for the production of harmful mutant and genetically modified animals. Mainly mice were used.
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Around ninety-nine percent of procedures carried out on animals listed in Schedule 2 of the Act used animals acquired from designated sources in the United Kingdom.
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Genetically normal animals were used in 1.65 million regulated procedures, similar to the 2005 figures. Their use represents fifty-five percent of all procedures for 2006, compared with fifty-seven percent in 2005 and eighty-four percent in 1995.
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Species with harmful genetic mutations were used in 326,600 regulated procedures, representing eleven percent of all procedures for 2006. The majority of these procedures used rodents (88%); most of the remainder were fish and amphibians.
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Genetically modified animals were used in 1.04 million regulated procedures representing thirty-four percent of all procedures for 2006, compared with thirty-three percent in 2005 and eight percent in 1995. The vast majority (95%) of these procedures used rodents, most of the remainder were fish and amphibians.
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Around thirty-eight percent of all procedures used some form of anaesthesia to alleviate the severity of the interventions. For many of the remaining procedures the use of anaesthesia would have potentially increased the adverse effects of the procedure.
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Non-toxicological procedures accounted for about eighty-six percent of the procedures started in 2006. This contrasts with seventy-five percent of such procedures in 1995. The main areas of use were for immunological studies, pharmaceutical research and development, anatomy, physiology and cancer research.
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Procedures for toxicological purposes accounted for fourteen percent of all procedures started in 2006. This contrasts with twenty-five percent of such procedures in 1995. Since 1995 there has been a fall of thirty-eight percent. In 2006 the majority (74%) of procedures were for pharmacological safety and efficacy evaluation. Around eighty percent of toxicological procedures in 2006 used rodent species, while non-human primates were used in less than one percent. Of all the toxicological procedures conducted in 2006, eighty-six percent were performed to conform to legal or regulatory requirements.
Statistics from previous years
The Home Secretary publishes statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures in Great Britain annually, usually in Julyor August. Statistics for Northern Ireland are published separately.
Trends in animal use
There has been a significant reduction in the annual numberof scientific procedures since 1976, this trend levelled out in the 1990s and in recent years there has been an increase in the number of procedures. Since 2000 the number of procedures has risen by 7%, with the rise in breeding procedures accounting for a significant part of this increase.
New molecular biology techniques are opening up new areas of research which will lead to an increase in the use of genetically modified animals. In addition, new regulatory proposals set out in the European Union Chemicals Strategy White Paper will, if agreed and implemented, also lead to increased use of animals for human health and safety purposes.
