§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what severity limits were allocated to(a) Study DKN 112/033062 and (b) Study DKN 137/033686 conducted at Huntingdon Life Sciences; what his Department's assessment was of the potential benefits of these studies; and how his Department arrived at this assessment. [159794]
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§ Caroline Flint[holding answer 8 March 2004]The severity limits assigned to the protocols relating to these studies, as set out in Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (HC321), were respectively "moderate" and "substantial". The potential benefit in both cases was determination of the toxicity of certain compounds and risks they might pose to man and the environment. Decisions on whether and on what terms to license such studies are informed by professional assessments made by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate in accordance with relevant parts of section five of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The aim has been to ensure that animal use only occurs when justified, and that in those circumstances animal suffering in such studies is minimised, consistent with satisfactorily achieving the scientific purpose.