§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for project licences have been refused under section 5(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 on the ground that the applicant has failed to give adequate consideration to the feasibility of carrying out the research by means not involving the use of animals. [8328]
§ Mr. George HowarthLicence applications are rarely formally refused because, when the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate indicate that they cannot recommend that a licence be granted, the applicant either amends the application or voluntarily withdraws it. Records which distinguish between refused and withdrawn applications are not collected centrally.
In considering licence applications, the Inspectorate ensures that adequate consideration has been given to replacement, reduction and refinement alternatives.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the project licence granted under article (10(3) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to allow the use of non-purpose bred greyhounds in a study of osteoarthritis expires. [8456]
§ Mr. HowarthThis project licence is due to expire on 6 December 1997.
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§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences in the(a) moderate and (b) substantial severity category of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been applied for in each year. [8749]
§ Mr. HowarthThe number of licences of moderate and substantial severity which were granted in each year is as follows:
Year Moderate Substantial 1989 449 14 1990 n/a n/a 1991 303 11 1992 608 33 1993 617 16 1994 436 8 1995 392 23 1996 350 11 Figures for the years before 1991 (with the exception of 1989) and for applications (rather than granted licences) are not available centrally.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to prohibit the use of animals in cosmetic tests. [8669]
§ Mr. HowarthThere are no immediate plans to prohibit the use of animals in cosmetics tests.
We will be considering how to take this matter forward within Europe in a way which does not simply export these tests to countries which have less regard for animal welfare and less rigorous controls and does not unnecessarily disadvantage United Kingdom industry.
We must also ensure that any action we take does not compromise public safety and is legally defensible (both within the United Kingdom and Europe). In this regard, we note that the European Commission has postponed a proposed ban on the marketing of cosmetics tested on animals until June 2000, because alternative safety tests have not been validated and because the proposed ban may have contravened international trade rules.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations are carried out by inspectors, employed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, into the source of animals used in experimentation. [8671]
§ Mr. HowarthUnless otherwise authorised, animals listed in Schedule 2 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 must be obtained from designated breeding or supplying establishments. All such establishments are regularly inspected and are expected to meet the standards set out in the "Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals in Breeding and Supplying Establishments". Where authority is given to acquire Schedule 2 animals from a non-designated source, the Home Office Inspectorate will always ensure its suitability and reliability.
Approval for the acquisition of primates from overseas sources will be given only if the conditions at the breeding or supplying centre are acceptable to the Home Office. A number of such centres have been visited by a Home Office Inspector.
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§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what breeds of dogs, other than greyhounds and purpose-bred animals, have been used in experiments in laboratories in each of the years since 1986; and from where these dogs were obtained. [8746]
§ Mr. HowarthInformation on the specific breeds used, other than greyhounds or beagles, is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animal experiments have been conducted since 1986 in connection with forensic studies; and what species of animals were used for this purpose. [8670]
§ Mr. HowarthThis information has been collected only since the start of 1995 and was published in table 1 of the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, 1995". During 1995, 139 procedures were carried out for the purpose of forensic enquiries. The species of animals involved were rats, rabbits, equidae, sheep and cattle.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's inspectors employed since 1986 under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 have previously performed experiments on animals in commercial, academic or Government laboratories. [8664]
§ Mr. HowarthThe Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 was repealed by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Information about whether ex-inspectors carried out experiments on animals either under the 1876 Act or the current Act is not kept centrally. However, we believe that 27 inspectors employed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 had carried out such experiments before joining the Inspectorate.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspections have been made by his Department's inspectors, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and what proportion of these visits were unannounced. [8748]
§ Mr. HowarthThe number of visits to establishments carried out by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate from 1989 to 1996 inclusive is 23,005. 19,902 were for the purpose of inspection or the monitoring of research projects; the remainder were for the purpose of maintaining scientific or professional skills, representing the Home Office or furthering Home Office policy. This information is published each year in the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain". The proportion of visits to Departments within establishments which were announced is 71 per cent.
Prior to 1989, visits to Departments rather than establishments were counted, and details of the purpose of the visit and whether it was announced or unannounced are not available.