HC Deb 13 November 1991 vol 198 cc531-2W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for 1990 in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Mrs. Rumbold

Our records show that 613 project licences were issued in Great Britain in 1990. I understand from the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, which is responsible for administering the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Northern Ireland, that 31 project licences were issued there in 1990.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of scientific procedures on living animals reported in 1990 authorised by project licences in the following severity categories,(a) mild, (b) moderate, (c) substantial and (d) unclassified in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Mrs. Rumbold

Statistical returns of procedures submitted for the purposes of preparing the annual statistical publications are not classified by severity category. Although an applicant for a project licence is required to assess the overall severity of the proposed project, the project licence may authorise a range of procedures with differing severity limits. The assessments of the severity of individual procedures and the assessment of the overall severity of the project as a whole are prospective. The purpose of this assessment is to allow the likely adverse effects on the animals to be used to be weighed against the benefits likely to accrue from the research, as required by section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Mr. Morley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the total institutions in the United Kingdom which use non-human primates have so far conformed with the minimum standards of the code of practice on the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures introduced in February 1989; and within what time frame the remainder will be required to conform;

(2) how many United Kingdom institutions currently conform to maximum standards outlined in the special considerations of the code of practice relating to cage furniture, opportunities for social interaction, foraging, maximum vertical flight height and training the animals to co-operate for routine procedures.

Mrs. Rumbold

The special considerations of the Home Office code of practice to which the hon. Member refers relate to non-human primates. Since the Home Office code of practice was published, there has been a marked improvement in the standard of facilities for non-human primates in designated establishments. There has also been an encouraging increase in awareness within establishments of the desirability of providing environmental enrichment and appropriate upgrading in accordance with programmes agreed with the inspectorate.

Statistics on the housing of non-human primates are not routinely collected centrally, although the Home Office inspectorate carried out a special survey of large non-human primate holding facilities in 1988. A further review of establishments using these larger primates is planned for next year and one of its aims will be to examine progress made in improving facilities since the 1988 review.