My position in favour of bringing research on primates to an end has never been clearer (Letters, January 13). Alyn Smith MEP signed the European Parliament written declaration "on primates in scientific experiment" urging the commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament to use the revision process of Directive 86/609/EC as an opportunity to "make ending the use of apes and wild-caught monkeys in scientific experiments an urgent priority" and "establish a timetable for replacing the use of primates in scientific experiments with alternatives". He now states the "use of primates in experiments is regrettable" and that, because of financial gain to "Scotland's flourishing biotech sector", we should continue to carry out primate experiments, subject to strict controls. Does he want to end primate experiments or not and does it depend on how much money is made?

He takes me to task because I believe it is to Scotland's shame that we carry out more experiments on primates per head than any other EU country. He is "proud of the contribution Scotland has made, is making and will continue to make, to human knowledge and the fight against disease". I also want scientific progress, but we can get it without experiments on monkeys.

He argues that "even from a self-interested perspective, there are more than 30,000 people in well-paid jobs in Scotland involved in the biotech sector, worth at least £3.8bn to Scotland's economy". He is confused if he thinks all of the £3.8bn comes from experimenting on monkeys. May I remind him of the written declaration he signed? It stated that "more than 10,000 primates are used in experiments every year in EU laboratories" and a larger percentage in Scotland.

He writes: "We have seen hysteria and ignorance over GM technology hamstringing plant research in Scotland. Let us not allow the same woolly sentiment over this go unchallenged." This from an MEP who sits in the Green Group in the European Parliament. Is Mr Smith equating the life of a primate with a genetically engineered seed of barley? I am getting offended.

He concludes: "I suspect people in 500 years will look back at us with horror and amusement, much as we do at past medical practice." I can assure Mr Smith that the many concerned Scots who have written to me do not need to wait 500 years to look on in horror. They are doing that now.

David Martin MEP, The European Parliament, Brussels.