§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the species and numbers of animals ordered to be given euthanasia by the Home Office Inspectorate in(a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998, owing to the level of suffering to which they were subjected; [46585]
(2) on how many occasions in (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998 the Home Office Inspectorate has ordered animals used in scientific procedures to be given euthanasia owing to the level of suffering the animals were subjected to. [46584]
§ Mr. George HowarthThis information is not collected centrally.
Under section 18(3) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, should a member of the Inspectorate consider that a protected animal is undergoing excessive suffering he may order it to be immediately killed by an appropriate method. This power rarely needs to be exercised.
Section 10(1) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that all personal licences shall contain an inviolable termination condition: any animal which is being or has been subjected to a regulated procedure and which is in severe pain or severe distress which cannot be alleviated must be humanely killed. However, the overwhelming majority of procedures cause only mild or moderate suffering. It is extremely rare that animals experience, or are allowed by licensees to experience, anything approaching severe pain or distress.
356WProject licences also contain severity limits. If these are exceeded, an inspector must be notified. The inspector may ask for the animals to be humanely killed. Any such request is invariably complied with; it is extremely rare that an inspector will need to order animals to be killed.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many current project licences are in operation relating to xenotransplantation experiments within the United Kingdom. [46583]
§ Mr. George HowarthIn view of the wide nature of the hon. Member's question, it will take some time to formulate a reply and I will write to him in due course.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the designated establishments authorised to conduct xenotransplantation experiments on animals within the United Kingdom. [46582]
§ Mr. George HowarthI cannot provide this information: section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 prohibits the disclosure of information given, or believed to have been given, in confidence. This requirement arises from, inter alia, the need to protect the safety of the scientists and institutions.