HC Deb 13 April 1999 vol 329 cc19-21W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of animals required for procedures, for the last year for which figures are available, as a result of the use of alternatives to animal testing. [80097]

Mr. George Howarth

It is not possible to make such an estimate primarily because the use of non-animal tests is not regulated under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and we are not, therefore, in a position to collect data on the use of these alternatives.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ban the LD50 animal test. [80136]

Mr. George Howarth

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 3 December 1998,Official Report, column 110.

Whilst we await the deletion of the LD50 test from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's guidelines, we will authorise the LD50 test only where the applicant can demonstrate a regulatory requirement to use this test rather than an alternative.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions have the non-animal alternative skin corrosivity tests been used for the purposes of testing household products since their validation by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods in 1997; [80133]

(2) on how many occasions has the non-animal alternative photoirritation test been used for the purposes of testing household products since their validation in 1997. [80134]

Mr. George Howarth

The use of non-animal tests is not regulated under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and we are not, therefore, in a position to collect data on the use of these alternatives.

The use of animals in such tests will be allowed only if the applicant can demonstrate a regulatory requirement to use the animal test rather than an alternative.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the definition of household product used by his Department for the purposes of the statistics relating to scientific procedures on living animals. [80135]

Mr. George Howarth

There is no definition of household product in United Kingdom law or European Directives. The only formal guidance given to licence holders in collating figures for the annual statistics is that contained in the notes accompanying the annual "Return of procedures by project" form (published as Appendix C to the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals", Great Britain, 1997). This instructs licence holders to use a particular code to record procedures carried out for a toxicological or other safety-related purpose (including efficacy, quality control, or other regulatory purpose) for substances "used in the household".

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the animal tests to judge the safety of household products, listed in Table 10a of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals in Great Britain 1997 were(a) photoirritation tests, (b) skin corrosivity tests, (c) LD50 tests and (d) fixed-dose procedure tests; and on which species of animal these tests were carried out in 1997; [80130]

(2) on how many occasions in 1997 fixed-dose procedure tests on animals were used as replacements for LD50 tests (a) for household products and (b) otherwise. [80131]

Mr. George Howarth

The information collected during the annual statistics collection exercise cannot be broken down in this way. For example: LD50, fixed-dose procedure and other tests can be returned as acute quantitative lethal toxicity tests. Similarly, photoirritation and skin corrosivity tests might be recorded under either tests for skin irritation or tests for skin sensitisation.

Although the United Kingdom already demands a level of statistical reporting beyond the requirements of the European Directive 86/609 and European Convention ETS 123 (and beyond that required by other member states), the figures for 1999, to be published in 2000, will be further refined to distinguish LD50 tests from other acute quantitative lethal toxicity tests.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the animal tests for household products were for(a) finished household products and (b) ingredients for household products, in 1997. [80132]

Mr. George Howarth

In returning data for the annual statistics on animal use, licensees are not required to distinguish between finished household product testing and the testing of ingredients intended for household products.

The Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals for 1997 show that 2,026 procedures were carried out for the testing of "substances used in the household" (both ingredients and finished products) for toxicology or other safety/efficacy evaluation.