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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs were killed as part of experiments in British research laboratories in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [129947] Mr. Mike O'Brien: In my reply to the hon. Member on 17 April 2000, Official Report, column 380W, in which I stated that members of the public often find it particularly difficult to accept that species that are kept as domestic pets or companion animals, such as dogs, are also used in research to find cures for illness. Such animals must be purpose bred and supplied by designated establishments and can only be used if there is no viable alternative for that particular procedure. I should emphasise that dogs are only used in about a quarter of 1 per cent. of all procedures. Table 1 of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain records the number of scientific procedures performed on dogs and Table 1a records the number of dogs used by primary purpose of the procedure. Numbers for the last three years for which figures are currently available are: 1998: 5,575 dogs used in 6,828 procedures 1997: 5,891 dogs used in 7,490 procedures 1996: 6,735 dogs used in 7,944 procedures. They are primarily used in pharmaceutical research and development, or in pharmaceutical safety and efficacy evaluations. The results of this work have produced medicines which have cured illness, saved human lives and added to veterinary science which have assisted animal care. The figures reflect a downward trend in this use.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

353 c595W;353 c593W; 129947

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Death Animal experiments Dogs

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk