§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what organisations have been in receipt of funding from his Department for research into alternatives to the use of animals for experimental purposes in each of the last three years;
(2) what funding from his Department has been available in each of the last three years for research into alternatives to the use of animals in experiments;
(3) if he will make a statement on the progress that has been made in recent years in finding alternatives to the use of animals for experimental purposes; and which individuals or organisations have been responsible for that research;
(4) whether he has any plans to increase the funding by his Department for research into alternatives to the use of animals in experiments.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government made a substantial grant this year to the fund for the replacement of animals in medical experiments for three projects, and my right hon. and learned Friend announced on 16 January that the Government are paying £30,000 to the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare for a two-year project into improving the caging of laboratory rodents. We have at present no immediate plans for further Home Office funding, but the situation is kept under review. 561W Considerable progress has been made in many laboratories in finding and developing alternatives. I understand that more experiments are now performed using in vitro alternatives such as isolated organs, tissues or cells than whole animals. The Government welcome this progress. All licencees under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 are regularly reminded of the need to develop and use alternatives wherever practicable. Under the new legislation we plan to introduce to replace the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 procedures on animals will not be authorised if the results can satisfactorily be obtained by alternative means.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 10 individuals or organisations which, in each of the last three years, have been issued with the greatest number of authorisations for the use of animals for experimental purposes.
Estimated 1984 European Community Agricultural Production '000 tonnes Germany France Italy Netherlands Belgium and Luxembourg United Kingdom Ireland Denmark Greece EC 10 Common wheat (a) 10,223 32,610 5,365 1,120 1,176 14,940 597 2,411 1,734 70,176 Barley (a) 10,284 11,690 1,473 193 910 10,958 1,601 6,288 840 44,237 Sugar ║ (a) 2,895 4,247 1,285 935 838 1,325 219 547 218 12,509 Oilseeds: Rapeseed and Colza (a) 655 1,300 10 38 12 923 15 517 — 3,470 Sunflower (a) — 850–900 220 — — — — — 45 1,115–1,165 Olive Oil ¶ (a) — — 400 — — — — — 250 650 Wine ('000 hectolitres) • (a) 7,800 66,300 69,300 0 157 13 0 0 5,025 148,595 Milk ■ (d) 22,522 24,129 7,310 12,415 *2,762 15,567 5,427 5,036 324 ‡ †273 Beef and Veal (a) 1,615 2,035 885 491 293 1,105 456 244 81 7,205 Pigmeat ⋆ (b) 3,229 1,716 1,124 1,546 694 (c) 941 145 1,045 147 10,587 Sheep and Goat meat (a) 23 169 54 21 5 296 41 1 122 732 Eggs (millions) (e) 12,800 14,835 10,800 11,500 3,150 12,890 600 1,300 2,560 70,435 Poultrymeat (e) 345 1,321 977 405 146 830 51 112 160 4,347 * Belgium. † Luxembourg. ‡ Not available. ║ Figures include 1.511 million tonnes of sugar produced outside the CAP quota. ¶ Olive Oil is a bi-annual crop. • Quality and table wines. ■ Cows milk delivered to dairies; Full 1984 figures are not yet available and the figures quoted represent the following period: Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark; all 1984. Germany, France, Luxembourg, Ireland; January to November 1984. Italy, Belgium; January to October 1984. Greece; January to September 1984. ⋆ United Kingdom figure for home fed production; all others gross indigenous production. sources:
(a) EC Commission; (b) Meat and Livestock Commission Economic Bulletin; (c) MAFF; (d) Eurostat; (e) Poultry International.