§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those of his Department's establishments at which animal experiments are conducted indicating how many animal experiments were conducted at each in each year since 1993. [1876]
§ Mr. SpellarThis is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
222WLetter from John Chisholm to Mr. John Spellar, dated June 1997:
I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about those of his department's establishments at which animal experiments are conducted indicating how many animal experiments were conducted at each in each year since 1993 as the matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).Two DERA sites currently conduct animal experiments, Porton Down and Alverstoke. In 1993 the former RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine based at Farnborough, concluded a programme of work with animals. The number of animal experiments conducted at each in each calendar year since 1993 are in the table below.
Porton Down Alverstoke IAM Total 1993 6,697 166 12 6,875 1994 7,416 238 — 7,654 1995 8,747 167 — 8,914 1996 11,097 124 — 11,221 In answering this question we have discovered a small statistical error in the numbers quoted for 1993 in a previous answer to you in 1995 (PQ 5852). The number quoted above is the correct figure and I can only apologise for the earlier error. For ease of reference the above number for 1993 is 79 greater than the one given earlier.