§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the report of the National Anti-Vivisection society, "Access Denied", a copy of which has been sent to him. [11280]
§ Mr. George HowarthI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock),Official Report, column 258.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newark (Ms Jones) of 24 July,Official Report, column 681, if all the animals he lists as being at Huntingdon Life Sciences are currently being used in experiments. [11618]
§ Mr. HowarthThe figures given in that answer were estimates of the number of animals currently held by the establishment. A large majority of these animals will be undergoing regulated procedures.
Under section 15 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, where a protected animal has been subjected to regulated procedures and where, at the conclusion of the procedures, the animal is suffering or is likely to suffer adverse effects, it must be killed by an approved method.
More precise figures for the number of animals which would need to be killed could be established only at disproportionate cost.