Animal Experiments (Hansard, 28 June 2000)

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien

[holding answer 9 June 2000]: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that non-human primates are only used in scientific procedures if no other species is suitable. In deciding whether to grant a licence for any regulated procedure, the 1986 Act requires that the likely benefits of the programme be weighed against the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned (the cost/benefit assessment) and that there are no alternatives which either replace animal use entirely, reduce the number of animals needed or refine the procedures to minimise suffering. We must also be satisfied that the procedures are likely to achieve the stated objectives.

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In addition to regulatory testing to help ensure the safety of medicines, non-human primates are also used for other important areas of fundamental research aimed primarily at better understanding the causes of disease in man and developing potential new treatments.

They contribute, for example, to programmes of work relating to Parkinson's disease, visual impairment, stroke, diabetes, disorders of reproduction, xenotransplantation and vaccine development.

There are no cynomolgus macaques or baboons known to be awaiting xenotransplantation procedures at the present time in United Kingdom designated establishments.

According to our records, journey times for non-human primates imported into the United Kingdom for research purposes in 1999 were:

	Number-imports	Longest (hours)	Average (hours)
China	5	46	43
Mauritius	21	34	29
Indonesia	0	—	—
Philippines	1	34	34
Israel	9	16	Less than 10

In accordance with measures introduced in 1996, the Home Office requires only an estimated total journey time to be provided prior to each acquisition and that, after each acquisition, confirmation be provided that the importation was in accordance with what had been authorised. There has been no obligation to provide precise journey times. Data have also been drawn from copies of journey details required by and supplied to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who would be the more appropriate Department to provide such data in future.

The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997, which is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, governs the transportation of live animals, including primates. It requires that the animals must be fit to travel, carried in a way that does not cause injury or unnecessary suffering and be accompanied by someone competent to look after their welfare. Import licences specify the intended use and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food receives details of deaths arising.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth) on 8 June 1999, Official Report, columns 262–63W, which provided details of deaths and serious injury in primates arriving in the United Kingdom for use in regulated procedures. I will, however, repeat the relevant parts of this information for ease of reference.

Twelve wild-caught baboons were imported from Kenya in 1996 for the purpose of xenotransplantation research, the earliest year for which we hold such records. A further 28 were imported in May 1999. There have been no subsequent importations of baboons for this purpose. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported in baboons during transportation.

In 1995, one cynomolgus macaque was found to be dead on arrival in the United Kingdom from Mauritius. The cause of death was believed to be enteritis.

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In 1996, one cynomolgus macaque was found to be dead on arrival in the United Kingdom from Mauritius. The cause of death was believed to be shigellosis.

In 1997, one cynomolgus macaque was found to be traumatised on arrival in the United Kingdom from Mauritius, possibly as a result of being pair-housed during transport. It was euthanased and all primates are now individually housed during transport. Another cynomolgus macaque was found to be dead on arrival in the United Kingdom from the Philippines. The cause of death was probably a trauma to the head.

In 1998, three cynomolgus macaques were found to be dead on arrival in Paris from the Philippines. The causes of death were not ascertained, but it is believed that they were probably due to a combination of factors: the animals concerned were larger than normal; although International Air Transport Association minimum dimensions were not breached, the containers were not large enough to allow these particular animals to stand up and turn around freely; and all the dead animals had been in central compartments, which were less well ventilated.

The containers have been enlarged and redesigned to rectify these problems. Another cynomolgus macaque was found to be dead on arrival in the United Kingdom from Israel. There was no obvious cause of death.

It is not possible to give an accurate figure for how many cynomolgus macaques intended for xenotransplantation have been imported and we cannot, therefore, confirm whether all of the animals listed above were to be used for this purpose.

Airlines refusing to fly animals directly to the United Kingdom as a result of harassment from animal rights activists has led to longer journey times. This may have contributed to deaths associated with transportation in some instances.

Eighty wild-caught baboons were used in xenotransplantation research in 1995, 29 in 1996 and 16 in 1997, three in 1998 and none subsequently.

Thirty-one cynomolgus macaques were used in xenotransplantation research in 1996, 67 in 1997, 78 in 1998, 49 in 1999, and five in 2000.

It is not possible to give an accurate figure for how many baboons and cynomolgus monkeys intended for xenotransplantation research have been killed without any xenotransplantation procedures being completed on them. The intended purpose is known to the Home Office in the case of animals acquired directly from overseas breeding centres by project licence holders. However, if animals are obtained from a designated supplier within the United Kingdom or from stock already held by the establishment, there is no requirement for reference to be made to the Home Office. The estimated number of animals expected to be used is provided in each project licence application but this does not necessarily mean that the animals are acquired in advance. We do not hold records of individual animals which are subsequently not used for the intended purpose.

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There are currently two project licences authorising pig to primate xenotransplantation procedures, one expiring in 2003 and the other in 2004. There are no new applications under consideration at this stage. Any future applications received will be considered on their merits.