Disgraced monkey lab backed by government in public show trial . . .

On November 26th, a public hearing begins that will hear evidence from Cambridge University animal researchers exposed by an undercover investigation in June, and animal rights campaigners trying to stop the University building a massive new monkey brain research centre.

Leading antitrial and anti-vivisection campaigners, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) has branded the hearing a "show project", and an "abuse of justice" as Prime Minister Tony Blair and Science Minister Lord Sainsbury have already publicly supported the application.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has, very unusually, decided to make the final decision rather than leave it to the inspector.

The University was stunned in June when the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) revealed secret footage of an undercover investigator who had worked in their monkey labs for 10 months.

Shocking evidence was revealed of marmosets routinely brain damaged by having their skulls sawn open and parts of their brain sucked out or injected with toxins.

The suffering of animals like these, which usually remains hidden behind closed doors, was exposed to the world.

Cambridge University will persuade Prescott that the development should go ahead despite the site's green-belt status, because of the nature of the project - they will claim that exceptional circumstances mean the lab is in the public interest because they are attempting to simulate the symptoms of human disease such as Parkinson's or stroke.

The BUAV, which is presenting detailed written and oral evidence to the hearing, will argue that brain damaging hundreds of non-human primates in out-dated and scientifically dubious experiments, is not in the public interest.

As monkeys don't naturally suffer the same brain disease as humans, superficial symptoms are artificially induced by damaging the brain. But a marmoset's brain is only 20 millimetres across, making repetition of precise brain damage almost impossible and consequently producing extremely variable and unreliable results.

Using animals as 'models' of human disease is fraught with difficulties and there are dramatic differences in the way that humans and other primates react to supposedly similar brain conditions.

For example, despite years of brain damaging monkeys, not a single effective neuroprotective drug for human stroke has been developed in animal models.

On May 23rd, Prime Minister Tony Blair made clear his support for the building project during a speech to the Royal Society, and Lord Sainsbury has also been a vociferous advocate.

The BUAV believes that it is impossible to imagine that John Prescott, who will make the final decision following the hearing, will deviate from the very clear wishes of the Prime Minister.

BUAV Chief Executive, Michelle Thew, says: "I very much suspect that this is a done deal and what we are entering is simply a show trial to give the illusion of impartiality by the government, when in truth the decision has already been made by Tony Blair.

It is of no surprise that the government has so publicly and repeatedly backed the expansion of this monkey lab before the hearing has even begun.

Since first coming to power in 1997 the Labour Government has consistently chosen to protect the UK vivisection industry rather than animal welfare and modern, respectable science. This is little more than an abuse of justice.

The Government is prepared to remove any hope of impartiality by declaring in advance its support for Cambridge University vivisection, which is already the subject of a Home Office investigation resulting from the BUAV's exposé.

Modern and effective non-animal research techniques like brain-imaging offer a better hope of unravelling and treating human brain disease, but these are side-lined whilst government support favours brutal and scientifically dubious animal experiments for funding .

Notes to Editor:

1. The Cambridge inquiry is due to last seven days.

2. Evidence is also being presented at the trial by groups such as Animal Aid and local campaigners X-CAPE.

3. The application has twice been turned down because of police fears for road safety arising from the proximity of the site to a busy dual carriageway and the M11 and the likelihood of protests.

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