The role of this House of Commons Committee is to give advice to the Secretary of State on the use of animals in scientific procedures, having regard both for the legitimate requirements of science and industry and the protection of animals. This is an account of their work in 2004, which includes advice on licencing; work on the statistics of animal use; suffering and severity; lessons to be learnt from the BUAV allegations about primate use at Cambridge University as well as the on-going work of the permanent sub-committees, which look at primates, research and alternatives, education and training, housing and husbandry.