§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current regime for controlling the use of animals in tests in preventing genetic modification of animals. [134458]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe production of genetically modified animals, as well as their use in experiments or other scientific procedures, is controlled under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Government are satisfied that the 1986 Act adequately caters for transgenic animals used in scientific procedures, and that there is no need for separate controls.
438WSince the genetic modification of animals was first achieved, the number of genetically modified animals produced and used under the terms of the Act has increased considerably, and is likely to continue to increase. The production and use of such animals allows new areas of medical and other scientific research to be explored; provides the potential for investigating a wide variety of conditions including cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis; and allows the quality of the science in many areas of research and testing to be improved.
The vast majority (over 95 per cent.) of GM animals produced and used are mice. Other genetically modified animals produced and used under the 1986 Act are: rats; rabbits; pigs (for xenotransplantation research); sheep (modified, for example, to produce human proteins in their milk which can be extracted and used to treat human medical conditions); domestic fowl and fish.