§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the relevance of the findings of the Banner Committee's report into the ethical implications of cloning animals. [100409]
§ Mr. MorleyIn its 1995 Report on "Ethical implications of emerging technologies in the breeding of farm animals", the Banner Committee concluded that the cloning of farmed livestock is ethically acceptable provided it is carried out within the welfare framework principles laid down in the report. The 2002 report by the Farm Animal Welfare Council "Implications of cloning for the welfare of farmed livestock" and the 2002 report of the Agriculture & Environment Biotechnology Commission "Animals & Biotechnology" endorsed the conclusions of the Banner Committee. The Banner framework principles are now required for cloning research in the UK. This reinforces the Government's view that all animals (whether domestic, farmed or used for scientific purposes) should be kept to the highest possible welfare standards.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to review the findings of the Banner Committee's Report into the ethical implications of cloning animals. [100408]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Report of the Committee to consider the ethical implications of emerging technologies in the breeding of farm animals (the Banner Report) was published in 1995. The Government has no plans to review its findings. The Farm Animal Welfare Council reported on the welfare implications of cloning farm animals and the Government response to their report was published on 7 August 2002 and is available on the Farm Animal Welfare Council web site www.fawc.org.uk. The Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission published a report on Animals and1294W Biotechnology in September 2002, to which the Government responded last December. Both documents are available from the Commission's website www.aebc.gov.uk.