JAN Creamer of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (Letters, December 16) is unaware that British regulations on animal research are regarded as the strictest laws in the world.
As the patient's voice in this debate, we published a leaflet which clarifies the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Certain licences must be obtained before any single animal may be used in a research project. Under this licensing system, any possibility of animal suffering must be justified by the potential benefit of the research. 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 to continue while controlling the numbers and types of experiment undertaken.
What we want to see are new medical advances for all illnesses - but not at any price. We support high standards of welfare for all laboratory animals and believe they should only be used when absolutely necessary.
Seriously Ill for Medical Research (SIMR) is a patient's group which supports the humane use of animals and genetic technology where necessary in medical research. For a free information pack please write.
TOM BROMLEY, SIMR, PO Box 504, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 2LU.
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