§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference for the Advisory Panel for Animal Experimentation; who are its members; what are their qualifications and other employments; and how often the panel meets. [22697]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe Advisory Panel on Animal Experiments was replaced in 1987 by the Animal Procedures Committee which was established under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The terms of reference for the Animal Procedures Committee are set out in section 20 of the 1986 Act:
(1) It shall be the duty of the Animal Procedures Committee to advise the Secretary of State on such matters concerned with this Act and his functions under it as the Committee may determine or as may be referred to the Committee by the Secretary of State.(2) In its consideration of any matter the Committee shall have regard both to the legitimate requirements of science and industry and to the protection of animals against avoidable suffering and unnecessary use in scientific sprocedures.(3) The Committee may perform any of its functions by means of sub-committees and may co-opt as members of any sub-committee any persons considered by the Committee to be able to assist that sub-committee in its work.(4) The Committee may promote research relevant to its functions and may obtain advice or assistance from other persons with knowledge or experience appearing to the Committee to be relevant to those functions.(5) The Committee shall in each year make a report on its activities to the Secretary of State who shall lay copies of the report before Parliament.The names, qualifications and other employments of the members of the Committee are listed each year in its annual report. The current membership is as follows:
Professor Margaret Brazier, LLB (Chairman)—Professor of Law, University of Manchester.Professor Ronald Anderson, BVMS PhD MRCVS—Professor Emeritus of Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool.Professor Margaret Boden, FBA MA ScD PhD—Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Sussex.Dr. Yvonne Cripps, LLB LLM PhD—Reader and Director of Studies in Law, Emmanuel College Cambridge.Professor Robin Dunbar, BA PhD—Professor of Psychology, University of Liverpool.Professor Paul Flecknell, MA VetMB PhD DLAS DECVA MRCVS—Director, Comparative Biology Centre, the Medical School, University of Newcastle.Mr. John Gregory, FIAT Cbiol MIBiol RAnTech—Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.Mrs. Judy Macarthur Clark, BVMS DLAS MRCVS—Director REC Europe Ltd. Consultant in laboratory animal science and ethics.70WMiss Cindy Milburn, MSc—UK Director, International Fund for Animal Welfare.Dr. Ian Purchase, BVSc PhD MRCVS FRCPath FIBiol—Director, Central Toxicology Laboratories, Zeneca.Dr. Jacqueline Southee, PhD—Consultant in alternatives to the use of animals.Dr. Anthony Suckling, BSc PhD—Deputy Director, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Professor John Turner, BSc DPhil FRSA—Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, University of Leeds.Mr. Les Ward—Director, Advocates for Animals.We expect to announce the appointment of a new Chairman shortly and to make further appointments to the Committee within the next two months.
The Committee met on 10 occasions during 1997. The primate sub-committee met twice and the research sub-committee met on three occasions during the year. In addition, the Committee held a two-day seminar in November and several working group meetings to progress its review of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.