§ Dr. LadymanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, columns 661–62W, (1) how many hours work his officials put into investigating the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK; what was the total cost of the investigation, including the cost of the time spent on it by his officials; and what plans he has to recoup that cost from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection; [114200]
(2) how many allegations of breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, its codes of practices and licence conditions were made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in their report about Harlan UK; and how many of these were substantiated by the results of the investigation made by his officials; [114201]
(3) how many lines of text of his officials' report into the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK were blanked out or removed at the request of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection before a copy was placed in the Library; what subjects these sections refer to; what reasons were given by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection for requesting that these sections of the report be blanked out or removed; if these sections include suggestions by his officers that the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection investigator was herself responsible for the breaches that formed the basis of the allegations made against Harlan UK; and if he will publish the full, unedited version of his official's report of their investigation. [114202]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAs originally summarised by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), there were 22 clusters of allegations which were investigated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. A further set of eight allegations was submitted in July 1999. One breach of a condition of certification, mentioned separately in two allegations, was confirmed. No action has been judged necessary in relation to the remaining allegations.
Blanked out areas of the text in the report placed in the Library on 8 March reflect confidentiality agreements entered into by the Home Office and points of commercial sensitivity and personal safety. About 90 lines of text were blanked out because of a confidentiality agreement with the BUAV, accepted in July 1999 in order to obtain information to enable a full Home Office investigation. This agreement covered incidental material from videotapes, an audio-tape and diaries kept by the undercover investigator. An interview conducted with her in the course of the Inspectorate's investigation was also subject to the same reservations. Discussions are continuing with the BUAV about the release of confidentiality of these sections of the report, so that a fuller version can be published.
In excess of 1,000 hours were expended on the investigation into the allegations and the preparation of the report at a cost of more than £36,000. Inspectors were also diverted from other work protecting animals to 167W investigate these allegations. There is no mechanism by which I can recoup the costs from the BUAV: they will form a minor part of the expenditure in operating the 1986 Act which must be recouped each year through levying fees on designated establishments and personal licence holders.