HC Deb 20 February 1984 vol 54 cc435-6W
Miss Fookes

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any animals are used to test the effectiveness of weapons.

Mr. Lee

All wounding studies are directed at improving medical understanding and treatment of wounds, not at testing of weapons or ammunition performance.

Miss Fookes

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why he is not prepared to give specific information about the numbers and species of animals used in experiments conducted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 30 January at column 33. Only about 50 of these experiments were on wound effects. Work of this sort has been carried out over very many years under successive Governments and papers have been published with the aim of sharing and enlarging medical and scientific knowledge. It is of "course" customary to include details of numbers and species used in published papers.

Miss Fookes

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to replace animals used in tests conducted by his Department.

Mr. Lee

Animals are used only after the most careful consideration of alternative methods, which are preferred wherever practicable. The chemical defence establishment is itself involved in research to reduce the use of animals; some of this work is specifically connected with reducing the use of animals in wounding studies. The establishment is actively associated with the work of independent, non-governmental organisations researching the use of alternative methods.