§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the animal tests for cosmetics in 1996 were for non-legislative purposes. [36424]
§ Mr. George HowarthIn 1996, there were 101 animal tests for cosmetics involving a total of 2,803 individual procedures on 2,791 animals. Of these, one test (1 per cent.) was for non-legislative purposes. It involved 45 rats (1.6 per cent. of the total number of animals). The test was carried out because of doubts about the safety of an ingredient which was to be used in trials involving human volunteers.
The figures given are not consistent with the figures in table 11 of the report "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, 1996" which was published in July 1997. The "All species" row in table 11 indicated that 620 cosmetic testing procedures had been carried out for non-legislative purpose. Inquiries since the statistics were published showed most of these procedures were, in fact, carried out to comply with health and safety or consumer protection legislative requirements.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline his proposals relating to animal experimentation during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Union. [36428]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe United Kingdom has used its Presidency of the European Union to seek agreement for the European Commission, and those member states which have not done so, to conclude by January 2000 the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. This will allow the United Kingdom to ratify the Convention, to which it has been a long-standing signatory. We have also clearly signalled our support for the Commission in its approach to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for a review 537W of its requirements for safety testing (including the LD50 test) and to pursue a vigorous policy over the use of non-human primates in the European Union.
In addition, the Home Office is collaborating with other Government Departments to organise a workshop in May. This will be jointly funded by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods and the United Kingdom Government. The aim is to explore advances in safety testing which will allow refinement of existing tests or a reduction in the number of animals used.
My noble Friend, the Lord Williams of Mostyn, is also to visit the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods to explore the possibility of setting up a European database to promote the use of alternatives to animals in scientific experiments.