HC Deb 18 December 1995 vol 268 cc965-6W
Mrs. Bridget Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main responsibilities and duties of inspectors working under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [6063]

Mr. Sackville

The duties are set out in section 18 of the Act.

Mrs. Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences were granted in each severity banding in 1994 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and how the bandings arc defined. [6067]

Mr. Sackville

Severity limits are allocated to individual procedures within project licences. Each severity limit is an agreed assessment of the maximum level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm likely to be associated with the procedure, taking into account any action planned to mitigate these adverse effects. Limits are selected from a three-band scale of mild, moderate and substantial severity. Procedures in which the animal is unconscious throughout are regarded as unclassified.

The assessment of the overall severity of a project uses the same three-band scale but takes into account the cumulative effect of each procedure; the number of animals to he used in each procedure; the proportion of animals expected to be exposed to the upper limits of severity in each procedure and the length of time that the animals might be exposed to the upper limits of severity.

The overall severity of project licences granted in 1994 was:

  • substantial: 9
  • moderate: 513
  • mild: 395
  • unclassified: 38
Mrs. Prentice

To ask the Secretary of Stae for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the current number of inspectors working under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [6065]

Mr. Sackville

None.

Mrs. Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits by inspectors working under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were(a) announced and (b) unannounced in each year since 1990. [6064]

Mr. Sackville

The information requested is as follows:

Total visits to establishments Visits to inspection to establishments Visits to departments within establishments (a) announced (b) unannounced (a) (b)
1990 2,829 2,533 1,744 4,703
1991 2,933 2,533 1,809 4,920
1992 3,299 2,784 2,302 4,638
1993 2,984 2,507 2.082 4,157
I 994 2,726 2,319 1,535 4,348
1995 (January—October) 2,390 2,063 1,122 3,877

  1. 1. The difference between Columns A and B reflects the fact that some visits may be unconnected with inspection per se—for example for the maintenance of scientific or professional skills.
  2. 2. The term "departments" at C includes the various units within each establishment visited.
Mrs. Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how consistency is ensured throughout the inspectorate when assessing the costs and benefits of animal research procedures. [6066]

Mr. Sackville

The report of the Animal Procedures Committee for 1993 sets out in the appendix II a note by the chief inspector, animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate, indicating how the assessment of benefit and severity is made. A small group chaired by the chief inspector also reviews licences for consistency.