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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that animals are used in scientific procedures only where justified; and what additional restrictions have been introduced since 1 May 1997. [62388] Mr. George Howarth: In addition to the progress outlined by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in a reply to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) on 3 November 1998, Official Report, columns 473-74, we recently announced that we had secured an end to the use of animals in the United Kingdom for the testing of cosmetics ingredients. Project licence applications and ongoing work will continue to be carefully scrutinised by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate to ensure that programmes of work are justified, in the sense that: the potential benefits outweigh the likely costs to the animals involved; non-animal alternatives are used wherever possible; and where animals have to be used, the least suffering is caused to the fewest number of animals of the lowest sentience. The ethical review processes that will be required in all designated establishments from April 1999 will also have an important role to play in ensuring that animals can be used only when it is absolutely justified. While the use of animals in many areas, especially medical research and testing, will continue to be necessary for the foreseeable future, we will continue to look for opportunities to eliminate types of animal use where suitable alternatives become available or where that use is no longer justified by the benefits that might accrue.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

62388; 322 c109-10W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Animal welfare Animal experiments Cosmetics Research Testing Scientific Procedures Inspectorate