SIR: Mrs A H Shaw (Your views,March 26) would rather rip hope away from seriously ill patients than accept the necessity for conducting humane animal experimentation in medical research. I very much doubt that parents of children with life-threatening disorders would appreciate such sick idealism.
We have the strictest laws in the world governing animal research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This ensures that research, which may cause pain or distress, is not conducted for trivial reasons. The Act seeks to strike a balance between allowing important medical and veterinary research and testing to continue while controlling the numbers and types of experiments undertaken, painkilllers and anaesthetics are used whenever necessary, and full veterinary attention should be available to animals used in medical research.
Seriously Ill for Medical Research (SIMR) produces a leaflet entitled 'The laws governing animal research'.
For further information please write to SIMR, PO Box 504, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2LU.
Concerned
Name and address supplied
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