§ Mr. Christopher Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce amending legislation to prohibit the infliction of substantial pain in animal experiments.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government's proposals for new legislation to replace the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 were published in the White Paper 'Scientific Procedures 293W on Living Animals' published in May 1983. Those proposals contemplate that specific authorisation will be necessary before any work likely to cause pain may be started and the retention of at least the existing limit on the maximum amount of pain an animal may be permitted to suffer once such work is in progress. Discussions are continuing as to the precise form of these proposals.
§ Mr. Christopher Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the granting of licences under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 to researchers who perform work abroad which causes severe suffering to animals such as would not be allowed in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MellorThe Secretary of State's power to grant licences under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 is discretionary and licences are granted only to applicants whom the Secretary of State is satisfied are fit and qualified to hold a licence. Every application is considered on its individual merits. The fact that an applicant has done work abroad under different controls from those in the United Kingdom would not of itself disqualify him for obtaining a licence; but if it appeared that in the course of such work he had caused deliberate and unnecessary suffering to animals he would not be considered a fit person to hold a licence in the United Kingdom.
The licences of people who have been in the United Kingdom for less than five years are made subject to a written undertaking from a senior licensee that he will see that the provisions of the 1876 Act and conditions of the licence are observed by the visitor.