HC Deb 02 February 1995 vol 253 cc850-5W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for defence what plans he has to carry out an investigation into the use of live animals for MOD experiments; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

There are no plans to carry out an investigation into the use of live animals for MOD experiments.

Animal experiments are a small but essential part of the MOD's research and development programme. Animal experiments are carried out only when careful consideration of alternatives to the use of animals has shown that there is no adequate substitute and where it is judged essential to use animals for this purpose. The experiments carried out fully meet the spirit and letter of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and are subject to unannounced visits by Home Office inspectors.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals were used in research by or on behalf of his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Freeman

Animals used in research include not only those used in animal experiments, but also those used for the provision of tissues, those not used and those used as passive control. The total numbers of animals used in each of the last 10 years is as follows:

  • 1984: 11,445
  • 1985: 7,855
  • 1986: 7,712
  • 1987: 10,628
  • 1988: 10,462
  • 1989: 10,419
  • 1990: 9,270
  • 1991: 7,028
  • 1992: 5,088
  • 1993: 7,329

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of animals used for the testing of military equipment by or on behalf of his Department are kept alive after the experiment has taken place.

Mr. Freeman

No animals are used to improve weapons or ammunition. Experiments involving animals have been used in the development of protective measures against certain weapons and to test procedures relating to submarine crew and aircrew safety. At the completion of experiments, animals are killed humanely in accordance with the project licence granted by the Home Office.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many live animal experiments have been carried out by his Department over each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr. Freeman

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the number of animal experiments reported to the Home Office as required by the legislation in each of the last three years for which figures are available was as follows:

  • 1991: 6,100
  • 1992: 4,500
  • 1993: 6,796

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been conducted by or on behalf of his Department into the application of results of military research on animals to draw conclusions about the effects on humans; and if he will publish this research.

Mr. Freeman

Animal experiments are carried out only when careful consideration of the use of animals has shown that there is no adequate substitute and where it is judged essential to use animals for this purpose. In the context of the work at CBDE Porton Down, which accounts for the majority of the animal experiments carried out by the MOD, it is important to recognise that as there is no group suffering from chemical or biological warfare agents in the population at large, the effectiveness of medical counter-measures cannot be evaluated, unlike drugs developed against naturally occurring illness or disease, using human beings. It is consequently necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of medical counter-measures against chemical and biological weapons using the most appropriate animal model for man. This work is published as appropriate in the scientific literature. In addition, studies of the interaction of drugs with animals have been compared with the interaction of the same drugs in man and a common mechanism has been established. Work on submarine and aircrew safety has been successfully applied to humans and the results published.

Work has also been undertaken to compare the relative mechanical properties of human and animal tissue, and has been presented to scientific conferences and published in the scientific literature. Computer models to predict the response of the human torso to impact and blast injury are also being developed.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has commissioned or undertaken into the effectiveness and necessity of using live animals for testing military equipment.

Mr. Freeman

No animals are used to improve weapons or ammunition or to practise surgery. All MOD experimental work with animals is subject to the conditions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and related legislation. Before any project involving animals is begun, a project licence must be granted by the Home Office as a critical part of the project licence application is a closely argued justification of the proposed use of animals considering the ethical and scientific issues. At each stage, the use of non-animal alternatives has to be considered and the licence is only granted where no alternatives are possible. Alternatives to the use of animals are used whenever possible. Some such methods have been developed and published in the scientific literature.

In some cases, in vitro methods which do not use living animals have been shown to be scientifically superior.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many experiments by or on behalf of his Department have involved the use of live pigs in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many pigs were(a) involved and (b) killed in each year.

Mr. Freeman

Under the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the number of animal experiments reportable concerning live pigs in each of the last five years was:

  • 1989 : 54
  • 1990 : 86
  • 1991 : 102
  • 1992 : 132
  • 1993 : 109

At the end of each experiment, the pig was humanely killed in accordance with the conditions of the project licence issued by the Home Office.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been conducted by or on behalf of his Department into the applicability of weapons research on unconscious animals to draw conclusions about their effect on conscious humans; and if he will publish this research.

Mr. Freeman

No animals are used to improve weapons or ammunition or to practise surgery. Work has been undertaken to compare the relative mechanical properties of human and animal tissue, and has been presented to scientific conferences. Computer models to predict the response of the human torso to impact and blast injury are also being developed.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of animals used for the testing of military equipment by or on behalf of his Department are killed while still under anaesthetic.

Mr. Freeman

No animals are used to improve weapons or ammunition or to practise surgery. The total number of experiments involving animals in 1993 that were reportable to the Home Office under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 was 6,796. Around 6.5 per cent. of the animals involved were killed while under anaesthetic. All other animals were put down humanely in accordance with the Act.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals experiments by or on behalf of his Department took place in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Freeman

All research carried out by the MOD using animals is carried out under the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The number of animal experiments reportable to the Home Office in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

  • 1984: 10,941
  • 1985: 6,611
  • 1986: 6,400
  • 1987: 8,300
  • 1988: 8,148
  • 1989: 9,129
  • 1990: 8,146
  • 1991: 6,100
  • 1992: 4,500
  • 1993: 6,796

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many experiments(a) involving animals, (b) leading to the death of an animal and (c) causing injury to an animal were carried out at Porton Down in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

This is a matter for the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive CBDE to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Graham S. Pearson to Mr. Matthew Taylor, dated 2 February 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking how many experiments (a) involving animals, (b) leading to the death of an animal and (c) causing injury to an animal were carried out at Porton Down in each of the last five years, and if he will make a statement has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that the UK Armed Forces are provided with effective protective measures against the threat that chemical and biological weapons may be used against them.
  3. 3. It is an essential but relatively small part of the work of CBDE that a small number of experiments with animals, mainly mice, rats and guinea-pigs are carried out in order to ensure that the protective measures provided to the Armed Forces are effective and are safe. 854 No animals are used to practice surgery or in work to improve weapons or ammunition performance. The number of animal experiments reported to the Home Office in each of the last five years was as follows:
    • 1989: 9,000
    • 1990: 8,100
    • 1991: 6,100
    • 1992: 4,500
    • 1993: 6,700
    In accordance with the conditions of the Project Licences issued by the Home Office, all animals were humanely killed at the completion of the experiments. The Project Licences currently in effect at CBDE cover mild 7, moderate 14, substantial 4 and unclassified 1.
  4. 4. It should be recognised that the total number of all animal experiments carried out at CBDE in any one year is less than one half of one percent of all the animal experiments conducted in the United Kingdom. Indeed the number of animal experiments at CBDE has dropped over the past decade. However, the number of experiments carried out in any one year will vary according to the MOD programme. It was recognised during and after the Gulf War that there was an increasing potential biological warfare threat and that it is necessary to strengthen the UK's biological defence capability. This has required the use of more animals.
  5. 5. The United Kingdom does not possess chemical or biological weapons and abandoned its capability relating to such weapons in the late 1950s. Consequently, there is absolutely no use of animals to develop or improve chemical or biological weapons. We have to recognise, however, that a number of countries do possess such weapons and it is essential that our Armed Forces are provided with adequate protection against their use and against the use of biological weapons. There is evidence of proliferation around the world in the availability of such weapons and the recent hostilities in the Gulf have demonstrated the reality of that threat which our Armed Forces have to be prepared to face.
  6. 6. Animal experiments are carried out at CBDE Porton Down only when careful consideration of alternatives to the use of animals has shown that there is no adequate substitute and where it is judged essential to use animals for this purpose. It is, important to recognise that there is no population suffering from chemical or biological warfare agents in the population at large and consequently the effectiveness of medical countermeasures cannot be evaluated, as can drugs developed against naturally occurring illness or disease, using human beings. It is consequently necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of medical countermeasures against chemical and biological weapons using an animal model for man.
  7. 7. The experiments carried out at CBDE involving the use of animals fully meet the spirit and letter of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986. CBDE is a registered place under the Act and all animal experiments and all the staff involved in them are licensed by the Home Office. Unannounced visits are made by Home Office inspectors to satisfy themselves that the requirements of the Act are met.
  8. 8. All work at CBDE is carefully controlled and monitored and is conducted by appropriately qualified personnel to the highest standards. It is vital that the protection provided for our Service personnel against the threat that they may be exposed to chemical or biological weapons should have been developed and tested to ensure safety and efficacy. Our role is to save the lives of the members of the British Armed Forces and this work is of continuing importance to the nation.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the research carried out by or on behalf of his Department using live animals leading to the death or injury of that animal for each of the last five years.

Mr. Freeman

The research carried out was designed toinvestigate gravitiational effects; demonstrate the results of exposure to different pressures of air or oxygen; provide effective protective measures for the armed forces against the threat that chemical or biological weapons might be used against them; provide effective protective measures against conventional weapons.