Ministers are urging Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to extend the £22m loan to Huntingdon Life Sciences.
Without an extension Huntingdon will have to close. Such a move could prompt multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to base their research abroad.
Meanwhile, Professor Colin Blakemore argues that should RBS give in to animal activists and refuse to extend the loan, the government should provide the necessary finances.
The Daily Telegraph 17/01/01 page 1, page 2
Financial Times 17/01/01 page 1, page 3
The Independent 17/01/01 page 5
The Guardian 17/01/01 page 21 (Comment & Analysis), page 23
The Times 17/01/01 page 2
