§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government now intend to bring forward legislation based on the White Paper, "Scientific Procedures on Living Animals'', Cmnd 8883.
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§ Mr. MellorAs soon as parliamentary time permits.
§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy on the definition of pain in scientific experiments on animals following representations made pursuant to the publication of the White Paper.
§ Mr. MellorParagraph 24 of the White Paper sets out the Government's view that pain is indefinable. The responses to the White Paper are still being considered.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate, and report to the House, the reasons for the increases in the case of each class of experiments on living animals where the numbers of experiments conducted has increased between 1982 and 1983.
§ Mr. MellorInquiries have already been made and I am satisfied with the explanations for the increases which have occurred. I cannot go into details of work performed by individual licensees, for reasons of confidentiality and security, but the hon. Member will appreciate that there may be perfectly legitimate reasons, for example, the conduct of a special study, why scientific effort in particular areas should increase despite the general trend downwards in the number of experiments.