Primates (Hansard, 22 October 1992)

§ 14. Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the standards set out in the code of practice for the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures with regard to primates.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The Home Office code of practice for the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures is based on guidelines drawn up jointly by the Royal Society and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. We have no present plans to amend the code.

§ Mr. Etherington
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of primates used in scientific procedures in the United Kingdom are single housed in isolation from their fellows.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
We are not aware of any cases where primates used in scientific procedures are being singly housed in isolation from their fellows—that is, without any opportunity to see and hear other primates held in the same room.
Holding primates in isolation would need special scientific justification and would require specific authority on project and personal licences issued under Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
373W

§ Mr. Etherington
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of primates used in the United Kingdom in scientific procedures in each of the last five years for which figures are available were(a) wild caught, (b) captive bred outside the United Kingdom and (c) captive bred in the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The information requested is not collected on a regular basis, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.