Primates (Hansard, 18 January 1994)

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set a target date to end the use of non-EU sources of primates in research.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
No target can be set until we can be confident that the EU will be self-sufficient in breeding non-human primates for research.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made in the European Community in setting a target date after which the use of wild-caught primates in research will be prohibited; and when the group of national competent authorities established under directive 86/609 will make a statement on this subject.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The group of national competent authorities established under directive 86/609 has been giving active consideration to the problems associated with the elimination of the use of wild-caught primates in research, but I cannot at this stage predict what the outcome of their deliberations will be.

§ Ms Lynne
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the possibility of the EU becoming self-sufficient in breeding primates for its research purposes within the next five years; what resources are available for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The European Commission is now collating statistics on animal use and the availability of breeding stock but it is unlikely that the EU will be self-sufficient within the next five years.