1) THE PROJECT LICENCE

If a scientist wants to carry out research or testing using animals they must first obtain a Project Licence from the Home Secretary who will take advice from the inspectorate in the first instance before granting the licence.

A licence may cover a scientific study lasting as long as 5 years and so and so obtaining a project licence can be a lengthy and complicated process and the licence will only be granted if:

• The results of the research are likely to be important enough to justify the use of animals.
• The research cannot be done without using animals.
• Any suffering is kept to an absolute minimum.
• Monkeys, dogs and cats are only used when no other species, usually rodents, are suitable.
• The people working with animals have undergone training and testing on the species of animal they wish to use, the type of procedure they are going to carry out and the level of distress the animal may suffer.

• Reduced the number of animals used to a minimum.
• Refined the way the experiment is carried out to make sure that any animal suffering is minimised
• Replaced the use of animals with non-animal methods where ever possible.

These three principles, Reduce, Refine and Replace are called the three R's and are the guiding principles in animal research. More information can be found at http://www.rds-online.org.uk/welfare/threers

• The research is carried out in an approved research facility i.e. one that has been inspected and has shown that it has accommodation for the animals that meets the required standards and has vets on call 24 hours a day. If the facility meets these very rigorous standards then it is given a Certificate of Designation.