§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to relax regulations on the use of terminally anaesthetized animals for training surgeons; [81126]
(2)what steps he is taking formally to consult individuals and organisations on the format, layout and language of the Home Office statistics of scientific procedures on living animals [81124]
(3)what plans he has to remove from the Home Office statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, animals from GM strains which are bred but not otherwise used in regulated procedures; [81121]
(4)what plans he has to ensure that designated research establishments using animals are inspected at least once a year by an inspector from another area; [81137]
135W(5)what steps he is taking to encourage his EU counterparts to make development and validation of replacements for animal experiments a priority; [81134]
(6)what steps he is taking to ensure that ethical review processes relating to research using animals have external lay members, whose term of office is time-limited; [81131]
(7)what plans he has to repeal section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in favour of a specific justification for each class of information that needs to be kept confidential; [81122]
(8)what steps he is taking to provide improved statistics on animal suffering pursuant to animal experimentation; [81125]
(9)what steps he is taking to engage in a systematic and visible search for methods involving the reduction, refinement and replacement in toxicology; [81133]
(10)what steps he is taking to enable visiting scientists and students in higher education to carry out work under the licenses of an established licence-holder in research using animals; [81128]
(11)what plans he has to subject the Home Office Inspectorate for the regulation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to periodic review by a body other than the Inspectorate itself; [81136]
(12)what plans he has to (a) strengthen the secretariat of the Animal Procedures Committee and (b) separate it from the Home Office regulators; [81129]
(13)what steps he is taking to encourage the Home Office Inspectorate to convene a regular forum to discuss specific scientific and welfare issues related to the use of animals in experiments; [81123]
(14)what steps he is taking to ensure a welfare assessment of new strains of animals used in experiments; [81120]
(15)what steps he is taking to simplify and reduce the length of project licenses involving animal-related research; [81127]
(16)what steps he is taking to promote the adoption of replacements and the incorporation of refinements into animal test guidelines; [81132]
(17)what plans he has to delegate interim authority from his Department to the local ethical review process when approving routine or minor amendments relating to research using animals; [81130]
(18)what steps he is taking to promote the commercial advantages of reduction, refinement and replacement in toxicology; [81135]
(19)what plans he has to make public the substantive details of anonymised project licences, describing the expected benefits of animal-related research and the harms to the animals involved after they have been approved and funded. [81138]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThese matters are all the subject of recommendations in the report published on 24 July 2002 by the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures. The report contained a total of seven conclusions and thirty-one recommendations, all136W of which are being carefully and thoroughly considered. The Government will respond to the report within the six months that is provided for and there will then be a debate in the House of Lords.