§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 23 February 2004,Official Report, columns 228–29W, on Centre for the 3Rs, whether he has now received the final report of the Inter-Departmental Group for the 3Rs; and if he will make a statement on how he intends to proceed with the Select Committee's recommendation. [169587]
§ Caroline FlintI have recently received the Inter-Departmental Group's final report on the recommendation of the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures that a centre for research into the 3Rs—the replacement of animal use, reduction of the number of animals used and the refinement of the procedures involved to minimise suffering—should be set up and have discussed its findings with Ministerial colleagues. We expect to announce our conclusions in the next few weeks.