§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 17 March 2004Official Report, column 336W, on animal experiments, if he will make it his policy to encourage the formation of a European Union wide animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate. [164642]
§ Caroline FlintNo.
Article 19(5) of European Directive 86/609/EEC—on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes—requires that establishments licensed to use animals in scientific procedures shall be subject to periodic inspection by representatives of the National Competent Authority.
Section 18 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which transposes the Directive into United Kingdom law, provides for the appointment of inspectors to advise on applications for licences and 1601W certificates under the Act and to visit places where regulated procedures are carried out to determine whether the conditions of licences and certificates are being complied with.
The Government are satisfied that the Home Office Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate, as set up under section 18, is highly effective in carrying out its duties and responsibilities. We do not consider that a European Inspectorate would add to, or improve on, what the Home Office Inspectorate already does. Nor do we consider that it would be practicable, given the diverse range of national regulatory systems. The Government are also concerned that the establishment of another tier of inspection, if that is what is being suggested, would place an unnecessary additional administrative burden on the scientific community.
We understand that this may also be the view emerging from the discussions taking place in the context of the review of European Directive 86/609/EEC currently being undertaken by the European Commission.