Fewer animals, fewer procedures, Home Office reports

Biomedical scientists are carrying out fewer experiments on a falling population of research animals, Home Office data show.

The department’s annual compilation of animal data published on 13 July showed that 3.94 million procedures were carried out on animals in 2016, down from 4.14m in 2015. 

In 2016, of the animals used, 51 per cent were exposed to experimental procedures. The remainder were used in other ways, for example to breed genetically modified animals that weren’t used in further research experiments.