§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department paid in each of the years from 1975 for contract research to the British Industrial Biological Research Association; how many of these experiments involved the use of living animals and how many by species; whether any of the moneys paid was spent specifically on finding and developing alternative research techniques to replace living animals in research; and, if so, how much was spent.
§ Mr. BishopThe value of the work commissioned by my Department with the British Industrial Biological Research Association in each calendar year has been as follows: 1975 £334,397; 1976 £340,165; 1977 £282,979 and 1978 £336,341.
13 of the 15 projects commissioned involved the use of living animals. The numbers and species used were 31,123 rats; 80 hamsters; 9 rabbits; 338 guinea pigs and 590 mice.
The two other projects related to the finding and developing of alternative research techniques to replace living animals. Their costs were £24,055 in 1975; £30,882 in 1976; £73,622 in 1977 and £59,442 in 1978.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are taken to ensure that living animals exported from the United Kingdom to animal research laboratories abroad are properly treated and handled on arrival.
§ Mr. BishopThese animals are subject to the Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973 and to the Transit of Animals (General) Order (Northern Ireland) 1973. Their treatment and handling on arrival in the importing country is the responsibility of the authorities there.
131WConditions governing the whole of the export journey, including that part of it undertaken in the importing country, are laid down in EEC directive 77/489 and in the European Convention on the Protection of Animals during international transport. Discussions are at present continuing in the Council of Europe on a draft convention on the protection of laboratory animals.