§ Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth, South)I have great pleasure in presenting to the House a petition put together by the National Anti-Vivisection Society. It is long overdue.
The petition calls for a substantial investigation into how the current legislation operates and reads:
Therefore your petitioners pray that your humble House will urge the Government to1. Make available technical details (not names or locations) of all applicants for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and allow individuals and organisations to oppose such licences on scientific and ethical grounds, and offer suggestions for non-animal procedures.2. Provide details of all breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and the action taken, in the format of a short, detailed and easily accessible public report. If law-breakers are not prosecuted, reasons should be given. If the Government's codes of practice are breached, full details should be published, together with the details of action taken.That petition was signed by 105,000 citizens of the United Kingdom, led by Miss Fiona Deal of London.
§ To lie upon the Table.