HC Deb 22 May 2002 vol 386 cc445-6W
Mr. Letwin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the Animals (Scientific Procedure) Inspectorate was established; [48102]

(2)how many members of staff are employed by the Animals (Scientific Procedure) Inspectorate; [48100]

(3)what the cost of the Animals (Scientific Procedure) Inspectorate was in the last 12 months; [48101]

(4)what the remit is of the Animals (Scientific Procedure) Inspectorate. [48142]

Mr. Blunkett

The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate was established on 1 January 1987 under the previous Conservative Administration.

The statutory functions of the Inspectorate are set out in section 18 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

"18 (2) It shall be the duty of an inspector:

  1. (a)to advise the Secretary of State on applications for personal and project licences, on requests for their variation or revocation and on their periodical review;
  2. (b)to advise him on applications for certificates under this Act and on requests for their variation or revocation;
  3. (c)to visit places where regulated procedures are carried out for the purpose of determining whether those procedures are authorised by the requisite licences and whether the conditions of those licences are being complied with;
  4. (d)to visit designated establishments for the purpose of determining whether the conditions of the certificates in respect of those establishments are being complied with;
  5. (e)to report to the Secretary of State any case in which any provision of this Act or any condition of a licence or certificate under this Act has not been or is not being complied with and to advise him on the action to be taken in any such case.

18 (3) If an inspector considers that a protected animal is undergoing excessive suffering he may require it to be immediately killed by a method appropriate to the animal under Schedule 1 to this Act or by such other method as may be authorised by any personal licence held by the person to whom the requirement is addressed".

In addition, the Inspectorate is also involved in a number of initiatives to continuously raise awareness of opportunities to implement the three `R's (of reduction, refinement and replacement) in animal experimentation, to promote a `culture of care', and to identify and disseminate best practice.

For the year 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 the provisional outturn operating costs of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate were approximately £1.55 million.

A total of 25 staff are currently employed by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate.