§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to review the effectiveness of the current provisions to prevent undue pain and suffering to live animals used in experiments. [14986]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is currently being reviewed by the Animal Procedures Committee. I understand that it hopes to submit a first report to my right hon. and learned Friend by the end of July this year.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many lethal dose toxicity tests on animals have been authorised over each of the last five years for which figures are available. [14987]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe number of these procedures performed is published annually in "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain". The latest figures available are for the calender year 1995. The figures for acute lethal toxicity are:
Year Number 1995 1148,708 1994 2116,493 1993 2154,880 1992 2153,222 1991 2131,760 1 Table 12. 2 Table 14(8) and 14(9). Differences in the way these types of procedures are now classified mean that direct comparison between the 1995 figure and those for earlier years is not possible.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make representations to(a) pharmaceutical and (b) other commercial companies undertaking tests on live animals to move towards alternative methods of testing. [14988]
§ Mr. SackvilleAll applicants for project licences, commercial or otherwise, are required by the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to consider the use of non-animal tests, where they are available and where they are consistent with the achievement of the scientific objectives of the project.
The Home Office is also working with regulatory agencies and with organisations representing commercial interests to encourage the use of alternative methods of testing.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to encourage provision for alternative methods to experimentation on live animals for basic research in toxicity testing and drug development; and if he will make a statement. [14989]
§ Mr. SackvilleResearch on alternative methods is funded through the research budget of the Animal Procedures Committee. The Government support the operations of the European centre for the validation of 357W alternative methods in co-ordinating research into alternative methods across all areas of scientific activity which use animals in regulated procedures. This includes methods to reduce the number of animals, to refine the severity of procedures, and to replace animal use.
Officials meet regulatory agencies and other Government Departments to establish principles for the use of animals in safety testing. In addition, all applicants for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are required to consider the use of alternatives where these are available.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those organisations which have received Government grants for research into alternatives to experimentation on live animals indicating in each case the amount of the grant for each of the last five years. [14990]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe following organisations have received grants through the Animal Procedures Committee:
358W
£ Calendar year 1992 Fund for Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments, Nottingham 31,500 Department of Microbiology, University of Glasgow 6,785 Division of Biologics, Porton Down 14,557 Department of Microbiology, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham 13,395 Department of Biomedical Science and Biomedical Ethics, University of Birmingham 20,075 ICI Central Toxicology Laboratory and Department of Zoology, University of Nottingham 44,000 Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton 28,750 Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge 30,000 Welsh School of Pharmacy, University of Wales 31,380 Department of Toxicology, St. Bartholomews Hospital, London 21,603 Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Bristol 35,546 Royal Veterinary College, London 32,000 Hoechst Animal Health, Milton Keynes 23,763 Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading 41,075 National Institute for Biomedical Standards and Control, Potters Bar 33,500 Calendar year 1993 Royal Veterinary College, London 33,314 ICI Central Toxicology Laboratory and Department of Zoology, University of Nottingham 44,000 Biomedical Sciences Division, Kings College, London 23,645 Department of Pharmacology, University of Glasgow 38,000 Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton 32,343 Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge 45,974 Department of Toxicology, St. Bartholmews Hospital 34,304 Department of Microbiology, University of Glasgow 3,209 Hoechst Animal Health, Milton Keynes 26,010 Department of Animal Husbandry University of Bristol 22,780 Applied Statistics, University of Reading 41,250 National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar 36,000 Calendar year 1994 Royal Veterinary College, London 42,755 ICI Central Toxicology Laboratory and Department of Zoology, University of Nottingham 36,000 Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton 22,880 Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol 25,034 Department of Toxicology, St. Bartholomews Hospital, London 35,107 Hoechst Animal Health, Milton Keynes 22,750
£ Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading 45,052 National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar 39,000 Calendar year 1995 Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton 12,320 Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol 13,480 Department of Toxicology, St. Bartholomews Hospital, London 16,000 Hoechst Animal Health, Milton Keynes 25,250 Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Bristol 30,000 Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading 16,485 Royal Veterinary College, London 11,025 National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar 30,000 Central Public Health Laboratory, London 16,820 Department of Surgery, University of Edinburgh 7,634 Department of Biological Sciences, Heriot-Watt University 14,673 Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh 13,379 Department of Pharmacology, University of Glasgow 5,500 Calendar year 1996 Hoechst Animal Health, Milton Keynes 7,000 Central Public Health Laboratory, London 37,820 Department of Surgery, University of Edinburgh 8,280 Department of Biological Sciences, Heriot-Watt University 27,045 Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh 13,379 Department of Pharmacology, University of Glasgow 12,830 Sheffield Hybridomas, University of Sheffield 13,810