HC Deb 21 October 1991 vol 196 cc450-1W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of animals used in experiments carried out by his Department or undertaken on a contract basis for each year since 1975.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

The number of Ministry of Defence animal experiments recorded by the Home Office under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 and the subsequent Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act which became effective on 1 January 1987 are as follows. 1990 represents the last full year for which figures are available.

Year Number returned lo Home Office
1982 13,400
1983 9,400
1984 10,900
1985 6,900
1986 6,600
1987 9,200
1988 8,100
1989 9,000
1990 8,100

I regret that figures for the period prior to 1982 are not available.

Contractors have the same reporting responsibilities as MOD under the Act and their procedures are reported to the Home Office, not to MOD.