ANIMAL FORUM

Plans for primate research centre dropped

By Andrew Woodcock, PA News
27 January 2004

Plans for a new primate research centre have been dropped by Cambridge
University, partly because of the expected cost of protecting it from
animal rights activists, it was reported today.

The controversial laboratory has become a focus of the growing battle
between researchers and anti-vivisectionists opposed to the use of
monkeys for medical research.

The decision to scrap the development, funded by the University with
the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council, was made after costs
grew from Ł24 million to more than Ł32 million, reported BBC Radio 4s
Today programme.

The centre was backed by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has spoken
passionately about the dangers of allowing scientific research to be
impeded by activists.

The BBC quoted one university spokesman as saying: We cant afford to
build and run Fort Knox.

Planning permission for the lab was granted by Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott after a hard-fought battle, but the animal rights groups
Animal Aid and the National Anti-Vivisection Society have launched a
High Court challenge to his decision.