Animal Experiments (Hansard, 18 July 1997)

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria govern the choice of the veterinary surgeon and the person responsible for day-to-day care of laboratory animals, in connection with premises registered to perform animal experiments under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [8678]

§ Mr. George Howarth
The named persons responsible for day-to-day care of animals and the named veterinary surgeons are extremely important to the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The criteria for their selection are derived from their roles and responsibilities which are detailed in sections 2.9 to 2.15 of the "Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986".
Named veterinary surgeons must also be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The College has published a Code of Practice for named veterinary surgeons and, in 1995, the Home Office introduced mandatory training to ensure that new named veterinary surgeons are made fully aware of their duties under the Act.
The Institute of Animal Technology has published guidance notes for named persons responsible for the day-to-day care of animals.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports have been published by the Animal Procedures Committee since 1986; and when it plans to publish its next report. [8685]

§ Mr. Howarth
Section 20(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires the Animal Procedures Committee to publish a report on its activities each year. Reports for every year between 1987 and 1995 have been published and the report for 1996 will be published in September. It will include a section on the Committee's review of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
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In addition to its annual reports, the Committee published a report on regulatory toxicity in 1994.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account is taken of the therapeutic necessity of new products in the procedure for issuing licences for experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [8667]

§ Mr. Howarth
Section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that, when determining whether and on what terms to grant a licence, the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned must be weighed against the benefits likely to accrue. The need to find better medical and veterinary treatments constitutes one of the potential benefits which can be considered when this assessment is made.
Work would be licensed only if there was no alternative means of meeting the objective; if the programme of work is likely to be successful; and the protocols have been refined as far as is practical to minimise the number of animals used and the suffering caused.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laboratories the Animal Procedures Committee has visited since 1986; and on what dates. [8683]

§ Mr. Howarth
Historical information is not available but in the last year Members representing the Committee have visited three laboratories. These visits were made on 20 November 1996, 5 March 1997 and 5 June 1997 and will be discussed in the Committee's annual reports for the relevant years.
Two more visits are planned for this year, one to an establishment designated as a breeder and supplier of laboratory animals and one to another laboratory.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspectors are currently employed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [8666]

§ Mr. Howarth
There are 17 inspectors and one vacancy which is expected to be filled in September. We are currently considering ways of strengthening the Inspectorate without adding to the demands on the public purse.
Information on the complement of the Inspectorate at 31 December each year is published in the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain".

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Animal Procedures Committee has made in assessing the use of animals in painful psychological and behavioural experiments. [8682]

§ Mr. Howarth
The Committee and its predecessor, the Advisory Committee on Animal Experiments, considered psychological and behavioural research in the 1980s. The outcome of these considerations was published in the 1989 annual report of the Animal Procedures Committee. No further consideration has been given specifically to this area since then.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations the Animal Procedures Committee has consulted since 1986; and on what dates. [8684]
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§ Mr. Howarth
A part of its review of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Animal Procedures Committee wrote in March 1996 to all designated establishments¹, to a number of animal welfare groups and to other organisations with an interest in the operation of the Act. One hundred and fifty-seven responses were received.
The Committee holds hi-annual meetings with the Farm Animal Welfare Council.
Less recent information about organisations the Committee has consulted can be acquired only at disproportionate cost. ¹Establishments certified under section 6 of the 1986 Act as places where scientific procedures may be carried out, or as breeders or suppliers of laboratory animals.