§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now implement article 24 of European Community directive 86/609/EC to render illegal the use of former track greyhounds in laboratory experiments.
§ Mrs. RumboldAt the moment, the only type of dog bred on any scale for scientific procedures is the beagle. In the absence of other types of purpose-bred dogs for use in research, it will remain necessary to grant some exemptions, all of which have to be fully justified scientifically, to the requirement in section 10(3) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that only those dogs specially bred at and obtained from designated sources may be used in scientific procedures.
Care is, however, taken to ensure that greyhounds obtained from non-designated sources are neither pets nor ex-racing greyhounds which have been supplied to charitable bodies for rehoming as pets.