§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish an independent judicial review into the actions of Imutran and HLS in relation to animal welfare and transplant experiments. [140726]
§ Mr. StrawI have no plans to establish such a review.
On 17 July 2000, the House of Lords decided to set up an ad hoc Select Committee on the use of animals in scientific experiments. The House of Lords inquiry will provide an opportunity for the wider issues raised in the context of the Imutran case to be considered.
Although Imutran's licences authorising surgical procedures are no longer in force and this research is not now carried out at HLS, I have asked the Chief Inspector of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate to examine, as part of the Inspectorate's normal statutory inspection and reporting fusiction, the available evidence relating to compliance with the authorities granted to Imutran for its xenotransplantation work between 1995 and 2000. I expect to receive the Chief Inspector's 685W findings and advice on these matters in the new year and will make these available, subject to the requirements of section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.