Wendy Warren asks where I get my facts from about animal cloning (Mailbox, August 16). They are from reports and books by experts.

The RSPCA is totally opposed to cloning for food production on animal welfare and ethical grounds. In a statement to the Food Standards Agency, it says: "Cloning is inefficient, wastes animals' lives and causes animal suffering and distress at all stages of the process."

A Compassion in World Farming report says: "The majority of cloned embryos die during pregnancy. Of those that survive, a significant proportion die shortly after birth from cardiovascular failure, respiratory problems, liver or kidney failure, immuno-deficiencies or musculoskeletal abnormalities."

The RSPCA and CIWF are just two of a large number of organisations opposed to cloning and none of them has a vegetarian agenda.

Wendy accused me of saying that people should all stop eating meat. Could she provide a quotation from a letter to support this statement?

Her reference to a New Scientist article concerned the rise in meat production and consumption. The world's population has also risen and those who eat meat are eating more of it. Most growth is in the developing countries as their populations and incomes increase. China is the biggest meat-eating country.

However, in the last 10 years the number of vegetarians has doubled. According to a Mintel survey in 2006 the UK was shown as having the greatest number of vegetarians in western Europe at six per cent of the population.

Elizabeth Allison, Aylestone.