Today, the Home Office have published the Annual Animal Research Statistics for 2017. This details the numbers of animals used by different scientific organisations, including the types and severity of procedures.
These statistics are important help inform the development of policies on the use of animals in scientific research and provide information to the general public, animal welfare organisations and the scientific community. 2017 statistics 114,799 wild type animals were reported as the additional statistics returned to the EU for 2017 and 113,598 underwent a scientific procedure as defined by Animal (Scientific Procedure) Act 1986. Breeding mice as part of our scientific programmes allows research to take place that investigates the relationship between genes and disease. It explores the function of single genes and multiple genes in complex biological systems. More information about the use and care of mice at MRC Harwell can be found here. The concordat MRC Harwell as part of the Medical Research Council and other life science organisations have signed the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, committing to help the public understand more about animal research. The concordat was launched in 2014 with 72 signatories and to date 120 UK organisations have signed. The publishing of these statistics today is important as it shows transparency about how animals are used for research in the UK. Engaging with the public In 2017 and 18 we have continued to engage with people about the how animals are cared for and used in scientific research through a variety of means. Interactive tour of our animal facility Last year work was carried out with Understanding Animal Research to produce a 360° interactive tour of our world-class animal facility the Mary Lyon Centre. This online tool enables exploration of different parts of the facility, with clickable links to videos and information boxes. In recognition of this work MRC Harwell was awarded the UAR award for openness in animal research in 2017. MRC Festival 2018 This year more than 300 visitors attended our festival ‘It’s all in your genes’ as part of the MRC’s Annual Festival of Medical Research. Following on from this tours of the Mary Lyon Centre are being arranged throughout the summer. Outreach programme We continue to have an active outreach programme for schools, colleges and work experience visits. We have also had visits from U3A groups and specialist charity groups such as Genetic Alliance UK. If you would like to find out more or are interested to attend a tour or arrange a visit please contact us at comms@har.mrc.ac.uk.
