§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in encouraging the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to rescind guideline 401 concerning the LD50 animal test; what is Her Majesty's Government's policy toward this test; and if he will make a statement. [105072]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienSection 5(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, as amended in September 1998, does not allow licensing of the LD50 (Guideline 401) test for the purpose of meeting international regulatory requirements. The general principle is that a test will be licensed only where there is not a scientifically valid and reasonably practicable and accepted alternative. There may be cases where no exact alternative is available and Guideline 401 (the LD50 test) can lawfully be licensed.
With the support of the United Kingdom Government, the European Commission has invited the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to delete test 401 from its guidelines.