Ben's Column

<table width="100%" height="100%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="bottom"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""><tr><td background="../../graphics/180601_pages/pat.jpg"><img src="../../graphics/180601_pages/top.jpg" width="760" height="54" alt="MP for Exeter" usemap="#Map" border="0"></td></tr></table> <map name="Map"> <area shape="rect" coords="38,21,223,37" href="../../biog/" alt="Biography" title="Biography" target="_parent"> </map> </td> </tr> <tr><td align="right" valign="top"> <table summary="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="150" height="341" background="../../graphics/buttons/bottom.jpg" valign="top"> <table summary="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <a href="/" target="_parent"><img src="../../graphics/buttons/home.gif" alt="Home" width="150" height="34" border="0"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="../../exeter_labour/index/" target="_parent"><img name="Image6" border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/party.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="Exeter Labour Party"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="/" target="_parent"><img name="Image7" border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/speeches.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="Speeches"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="../../column/" target="_parent"><img border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/column.gif" width="150" height="24" alt="Ben's Column"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="../../faqs/" target="_parent"><img border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/faqs.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="FAQs"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="/" target="_parent"><img border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/local.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="Local Information"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="/" target="_parent"><img border="0" src="../../graphics/buttons/newsletter.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="Newsletter"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="/" target="_parent"><img src="../../graphics/buttons/links.gif" width="150" height="23" border="0" alt="Links"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a href="../../contact/contact/" target="_parent"><img src="../../graphics/buttons/contact.gif" width="150" height="23" alt="Contact" border="0"></a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td align="left" valign="top">  <html> <head> <title>Welcome to Ben Bradshaws Website</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#cc0000" vlink="#cc0000" alink="#cc0000" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><a name="top"></a></b></font> <table width="90%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10" summary=""> <tr> <td align="right"><a href="../../column/column/" target="_self"><img alt="Back" src="../../graphics/new_bio/back.gif" width="90" height="22" border="0"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="-3"><font size="4" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#CC0000">Animal Research — 4 August 2004</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="-6"><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A number of you reading this and some of your friends and family are still alive and able bodied thanks to medical tests using animals.<br/> <br/> Most of the major medical advances of the last hundred years have come about though animal research. <br/> <br/> They include anaesthetics, vaccines, antibiotics, heart surgery, transfusions, dialysis and transplants.<br/> <br/> Current research holds huge promise for treating and preventing a range of conditions including cancer, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, reproductive and fertility problems, Parkinson�s and Alzheimer�s. But all this is being put at risk by a small group of anti animal research fanatics. I refuse to use the description �animal rights activist�. All right think people are in favour of animal welfare just as they are in favour of human welfare.<br/> <br/> Animal research has fallen dramatically over the years in Britain and has been banned completely for cosmetics.<br/> <br/> We have one of the strictest testing regimes in the world. The Government has also set up National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research which includes animal welfare groups on its board.<br/> <br/> But some testing on animals is likely to be needed for some time to come in the absence of any viable alternative. People have the right to campaign lawfully to reduce or end the use of animals in research. <br/> <br/> One might question their consistency in then accepting treatment for themselves or their families that have been animal tested. But they absolutely do not have the right to harass, threaten or physically attack those involved in legal research that saves lives. And not just human ones. The anti science fanatics ignore the fact that research on animals has also led to major advances in veterinary medicine improving the lives and welfare of millions of farmed animals and pets. <br/> <br/> So I am delighted the Government has taken new steps to protect British researchers and their families and curb the activity of the extremists. <br/> <br/> The public can help to by helping whom they give money to. Donations to some fringe groups are not helping animals but funding criminal activity. <br/> </font></td> <tr> <td height="-7"><a href="#top"><img alt="Back to Top" src="../../graphics/180601_pages/back_top.gif" width="100" height="27" border="0"></a></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html> </td> </tr> <tr><td> </td> <td align="right" valign="bottom"><table width="100%" height="70" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td width="100%" height="70" align="left" valign="bottom"> <font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="/" target="_parent">Home</a> | <a href="../../exeter_labour/index/" target="_parent">Exeter Labour Party</a> | <a href="/" target="_parent">Speeches</a> | <a href="../../column/" target="_parent">Ben's Column</a> | <a href="../../faqs/" target="_parent">FAQs</a> | <a href="/" target="_parent">Local Information</a> | <a href="/" target="_parent">Newsletter</a> | <a href="/" target="_parent">Links</a> | <a href="../../contact/contact/" target="_parent">Contact</a></font><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br> </font> <font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000">The contents of these pages must not be reproduced by any third parties for commercial gain. <a href="/" target="_blank">Privacy Policy</a><br> </font> <font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ben Bradshaw © 2000-2008 Last updated 08/2007</font> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">| Developed by Websight</font> </td> <td height="70" width="251" align="right" valign="bottom"><img src="../../graphics/180601_pages/ben_logo_new.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="61" border="0" align="right"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>