§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department and the Animal Procedures Committee have taken toward ending the use of animals in cosmetic and toiletry tests since the implementation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 8 December 1988]: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 introduced a substantially more rigorous system of control over the conduct of scientific procedures on animals.
The purpose of all work now has to be authorised by project licences and all project licence applications for the testing of cosmetic substances are scrutinised by the animal procedures committee and modified as necessary.
In its first annual report laid before Parliament on 5 December, the APC identifies the difficult issues involved but concludes that in the interests of safety there should be no blanket ban on the testing of cosmetics and their ingredients.