§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what press releases were issued, speeches and other public statements supporting animal testing for medical research purposes were made by him and his Ministers in the year to 18 January. [147409]
§ Yvette CooperIn the year from 19 January 2000 to 18 January 2001, written answers were given by Department of Health Ministers to six parliamentary questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on this and related subjects. These answers were given on 8 March 2000,Official Report, column 760W; on 5 April 2000, Official Report, column 509W; on 3 May 2000, Official Report, column 169W; on 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 19W; on 13 July 2000, Official Report, column 683W; and on 30 October 2000, Official Report, column 254W.
In the first of these answers I made clear that we are concerned to ensure that research in animals is undertaken only when necessary to fulfil statutory obligations. In the last of these answers I said that my noble Friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath had explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow at a meeting on 25 July 2000 that we fully support the need to raise public awareness of the benefits of animal testing.