Written question asked by Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour) on Friday, 21 July 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 July 2000. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Monday, 24 July 2000 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will publish the figures relating to scientific procedures performed on living animals in Great Britain in 1999. - Includes figures and ref to Command Paper Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals published 17 August.

Answer: Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the figures relating to scientific procedures performed on living animals in Great Britain in 1999. [132680] Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested will be published as a Command Paper Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 1999 on 17 August. In the meantime, I can report that: the number of procedures started in 1999 was about 2.66 million, almost exactly the same as in 1998. 83 per cent. of these were performed using mice and rats; the number of animals used in 1999 was 2.57 million about 24,000 fewer than in 1998; and the number of procedures involving the use of genetically modified animals rose by 63,000 to 511,000 in 1999, but this was almost exactly offset by a decrease to 1,894,000 in the use of animals with a normal genetic constitution.

Secondary information