§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many animal experiments were carried out at the Porton Down chemical defence establishment in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
§ Mr. LeeThe number of experiments subject to the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 in each year is as follows:
Number 1980 17,800 1981 17,200 1982 13,400 1983 9,500 1984 10,900 The increase from 9,500 experiments in 1983 to 10,900 experiments in 1984 reflects the need to ensure that effective protection and treatment remain available to our forces to meet continuing developments in the threat posed by the Soviet Union's chemical warfare capability.