In a pre-1997 election pledge New Labour said it was committed to reducing the number of animals used in experiments.

But in 2001 it invested its staff pension fund in a vivisection laboratory that was condemned by the Home Office for cruelty and had its license revoked and only renewed six months later.

The Labour Party Superannuation Party held 75,000 shares in Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest research laboratory.

Now Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has given permission to Cambridge University to build a research centre to conduct brain experiments on monkeys.

This permission was given after the local planning authority and an inspector found against it.

I was under the impression that we live in a democratic society. I see little evidence of this when the Government fails to listen to the people of this country or stand by any of its pre-election promises.

-Mrs Judy Way, Southwick