HC Deb 04 June 1997 vol 295 cc174-5W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many visits were made between September and November 1996 by the Named Veterinary Surgeon appointed under section 6(5)(b) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to monitor the welfare of the beagle dogs kept in the Dog Toxicology Unit at Huntingdon Life Sciences; [1761]

(2) on how many occasions between September and November 1996 the named day-to-day care person appointed under section 6(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to be responsible for the welfare of the protected animals being held in the Dog Toxicology Unit at Huntingdon Life Sciences, notified personal licence holders that they were concerned for the health or welfare of an animal, in accordance with the procedure laid down in section 6(6)(a) of the Act. [1762]

Mr. George Howarth

These figures are not recorded.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the project licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which are currently valid at Huntingdon Life Sciences cover procedures classified as being of(a) mild, (b) moderate and (c) substantial severity. [1765]

Mr. Howarth

Nineteen of the current licences are rated as mild, 27 as moderate and two as substantial. The classification of individual procedures is not recorded on the central database.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the project licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to carry out scientific procedures at Huntingdon Life Sciences were subject to the scrutiny of the Animal Procedures Committee. [1763]

Mr. Howarth

Two of the current licences were considered by the Animal Procedures Committee prior to granting.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the project licences authorising the carrying-out of scientific procedures at Huntingdon Life Sciences have been issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [1764]

Mr. Howarth

There are currently 48 project licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at that establishment.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions between September and November 1996 the Home Office Inspectorate visited Huntingdon Life Sciences, under section 18(2) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; how many of these visits were to monitor scientific procedures in the Dog Toxicology Unit; what reports were made to him in accordance with section 18(2)(e); and how many animals were considered to be undergoing excessive suffering and dealt with in accordance with the procedure laid down in section 18(3) of the Act following these visits. [1760]

Mr. Howarth

Six inspectorate visits were made to the establishment in that period. Dog Toxicology Units were visited on three occasions; on two of these, the performance of regulated procedures was observed. One visit involved two Inspectors.

Reports on each of these visits were produced and forwarded to the Chief Inspector.

No excessive suffering, requiring animals to be put down, was observed.