HC Deb 20 July 1998 vol 316 cc381-3W
Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for reducing the backlog of applications for licences, and amendments to licences, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [50866]

Mr. George Howarth

We are continuing to explore and, as far as possible, exploit all possible options for managing and reducing the backlog in our London office. This backlog arose primarily due to the loss of experienced staff (for unavoidable reasons) and has built up due to difficulties in attracting and retaining staff for this type of work.

We are in the process of recruiting staff, through open competition, and we are arranging a selection Board for promoting existing Home Office staff to fill two posts currently held by casual staff. These two recruitment exercises should provide the best choice of candidates and a more permanent solution than employing casual staff for short periods.

In the meantime, we have recently recruited another member of casual staff and now have a full complement of staff in our London office. To reduce the backlog, staff are continuing to work overtime and have been joined in London, on occasions, by colleagues from our regional offices.

A minor technical problem has recently been overcome to allow London cases to be transferred to other regional offices to process.

We are also looking to see whether there are elements of work currently carried out by the licensing team which they might stop doing whilst the backlog is cleared—one possibility is to no longer advise project licence holders that their licence will shortly expire. Licensees would, as a consequence, need to remain alert to the date on which their authorities expire and the need to apply for any replacement licence well before that date.

In the longer term, we are exploring how modern IT systems can improve the licensing operation and whether the personal licence system can be streamlined.

Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, for licences, and amendments to licences, were awaiting decision on(a) 1 July 1998, (b) 1 January 1998 and (c) 1 July 1997. [50867]

Mr. George Howarth

This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost, and the process would significantly worsen the backlog problem about which my hon. Friend is rightly concerned.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many duplicated experiments were carried out in 1997 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [51122]

Mr. George Howarth

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 19 January 1998Official Report, column 387.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to announce a ban on the use of animals for cosmetic ingredient testing; and what is the time scale for a ban becoming operative. [51121]

Mr. George Howarth

This is an extremely complex issue and we are still exploring the implications of various courses of action.

Under European Directives, including the Cosmetics and Dangerous Substances Directives, ingredients must be tested on animals to show that they are safe in use, manufacture and transport. Industry strongly contends that there is a need for certain types of new ingredients for cosmetic products, particularly UVA filters for such products as sunscreens.

We must ensure that any action we take is sustainable and does not unnecessarily disadvantage United Kingdom research, medicine and industry or compromise public safety.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors underlay the reduction in the proportion of non-legislative animal tests carried out for cosmetic purposes between 1995 and 1996. [51120]

Mr. George Howarth

Additional data on cosmetic testing, above that required for the annual statistics report, are collected separately. In 1996, the way in which this additional information was collected was changed. The data needed to identify the factors in which the hon. Member is interested are not available before 1996.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries from which dogs were imported into the United Kingdom for experiments in 1996 and 1997, indicating the number from each country; how often his Department's inspectors visited these overseas breeding establishments under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if the code of practice for breeding establishments is enforced in these non-United Kingdom establishments. [51123]

Mr. George Howarth

In total, 478 dogs in 1996 and 214 dogs in 1997 were acquired from the United States of America. All were purpose-bred and were obtained from breeding establishments which meet their national standards.

Home Office inspectors have not visited these establishments. They have no right to access to establishments in other countries nor can we enforce our codes in non-United Kingdom establishments.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were bred for scientific procedures but killed prior to use in any procedure in(a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997. [51124]

Mr. George Howarth

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 19 January 1998,Official Report, columns 388–89.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in reviewing section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and what plans he has to amend it following the Government's freedom of information proposals. [51207]

Mr. George Howarth

No decision has yet been taken. We are still awaiting final details on the proposals for freedom of information legislation.

Forward to