§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been commissioned or evaluated by his Department on the development of techniques which would replace the use of animals in medical research; and if he will make a statement. [70666]
§ Mr. George HowarthDetails of projects funded by the Home Office, and their results, are published in the annual reports of the Animal Procedures Committee, which are laid before Parliament as required by section 20(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Animal Procedures Committee advises on the sponsoring of work aimed at developing or promoting the use of alternatives which replace animal use, reduce the number of animals used or refine the procedures to minimise suffering. The budget for this has been increased by 42 per cent. to £259,000 in 1998–99.
Decisions are still to be made on the projects to fund in the next financial year.
This is not the only money spent by the Government on alternatives: other Departments also fund relevant work as an integral part of scientific research. Industry, too, spends millions of pounds each year on the search for and development of alternatives.
The United Kingdom Government continue to support the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods through contributions to the European Union. It is the Centre's task to monitor and co-ordinate research into alternatives and to develop the processes of validation.
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