SOME 'R' MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS

Britain announced a new national "centre" to reduce animal tests and "raise standards of welfare." The BBC reports that "funding for reduction, replacement and refinement of animal tests, known as the "three R's", will rise from £330,000 to £660,000 in this financial year." Sounds like a lot of money, I guess. But some critics point out that the "replacement" R is geting short shrift among the three. Jan Creamer, chief executive of National Anti-Vivisection Society, said "we have been lobbying for years for a national centre for replacement. But we can't take part in an organisation that funds animal experiments, because it would be at odds with our remit." She continued: "Refinement and reduction already have plenty of money spent on them - it is replacement that is starved of funds."