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Fire Service

Ms Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is to be the next Chief Inspector of Fire Services. [15140]

Mr. Straw: Mr. Graham Meldrum CBE, the Chief Fire Officer of the West Midlands Fire Service, will become Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services in succession to Sir Bryan Collins OBE, who retires on 31 December.

Surveillance Systems

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the draft code of practice on intrusive surveillance to (a) ensure equal rights for tenants as for property owners and (b) include a definition of urgency; and if he will make a statement. [13710]

Mr. Michael: We have received more than 60 responses to the public consultation exercise on the draft code of practice. Both of the issues raised by the right hon. Member were raised by respondees and are receiving careful consideration, along with other matters raised during the consultation process. We will table a revised draft when that consideration has been completed.

Animals (Scientific Procedures)

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to record the number of animals (a) bred and (b) killed purely for body parts and tissue use in UK laboratories; and if he will make a statement; [13800]

Mr. George Howarth: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates the use of living animals in scientific procedures.

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Killing animals by humane methods does not necessarily require licence authority under the Act and does not always need to be carried out in establishments designated under sections 6 or 7 of the 1986 Act. The Home Office cannot therefore collate, or even estimate, the number of animals bred and killed purely for body parts or tissue.

Fundamental changes to the Act would be needed if statistics of this nature were to be collected and there are no plans to make any such changes.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department plans to publish the revised (a) "Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986" and (b) "Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures". [13643]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: Work has already commenced on updating the "Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986". The revisions will, in part, depend upon exactly how we implement a number of the planned changes to the operation of the Act, including those recommended by the Animal Procedures Committee in its interim report on the review of the Act. A firm publication date cannot therefore be given at this stage.

Work on the "Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures" will follow the revision of the Guidance. This will allow us to ensure that any changes made take full account of changes being made in Europe. The Council of Europe is currently setting up working groups to review Appendix A of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes, ETS 123. This Appendix sets out guidelines on the care and accommodation of laboratory animals.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on funding the Home Office Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate in each of the last five years; what is the projected expenditure for each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [13638]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: In the last five years, (a) the pay budget and (b) the travel and subsistence budget for the Inspectorate have been as follows:

(a)(b)
££
1993-941,037,000140,000
1994-951,031,000102,000
1995-96991,000112,000
1996-971,047,000129,000
1997-981,033,000135,000

Budgets for 1998-99 and for 1999-2000 have not yet been finalised, but an increase to cover two or three new inspectors has been agreed.

Accommodation and other running costs are funded jointly with the administrative unit which operates the licensing system. They cannot easily be separated.

6 Nov 1997 : Column: 284

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much has been spent by his Department on work to find alternatives to the use of animals in scientific procedures in each of the last five years; what is the projected expenditure for each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement; [13677]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: During the past five years, the budget made available to the Animal Procedures Committee to sponsor research to reduce, refine or replace animal experimentation has been as follows:






Paragraph 62 of the Committee's annual report repeats the Committee's concern about the reduction in the 1996-97 budget and says that the Committee was


Both these reductions were made under the previous Government.

The budgets for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 have not yet been finalised, but I hope to see an increase.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) inspectors and (b) administrative staff are employed (i) full time and (ii) part time as part of the Home Office Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. [13637]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: Since June, three new Inspectors have been appointed to restore the complement of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate to 18 full-time inspectors and one full-time personal secretary. We have secured additional funding from next year for another two or three inspectors.

In addition, there are 11 full-time and six part-time administrative staff in a separate unit which operates the licensing system.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the ban on the use of animals in the testing and development of weapons will come into force; and if he will make a statement. [13676]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: No animals are being used to develop weapons. Animals can be used, however, to test and develop means of protecting United Kingdom service men and women against terrorist and battlefield weapons and to improve treatments. I have no plans, at this time, to ban such use.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce compulsory training programmes for scientists and technicians killing animals by methods outlined in Schedule 1 to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [13640]

6 Nov 1997 : Column: 285

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: We have accepted a recommendation made by the Animal Procedures Committee in its interim report on the review of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that all those killing animals by Schedule 1 methods should be trained and competent to do so.

We will be consulting the Institute of Biology, the Universities Group for the Accreditation of Training and other relevant bodies to develop a suitable training scheme. We then propose to add conditions to all Certificates of Designation to require establishments to maintain lists of all those who have been trained and are competent to kill animals by specified Schedule 1 methods.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to introduce compulsory training programme for certificate holders in respect of the specific responsibilities they hold under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; [13639]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: In their interim report on the review of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Committee recommended that


and that


We have accepted these recommendations.

The Animal Procedures Committee had previously recommended that all new applicants for Certificates of Designation should attend module 1 of an accredited training programme. This has already been implemented. We will now be consulting with the Institute of Biology, the Universities Group for the Accreditation of Training and other relevant bodies to develop additional training for Certificate holders.

No date has yet been set for a meeting of Certificate holders, but informal discussions have already been held with several Certificate holders at both Ministerial and official level.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department plans to publish the procedures by which infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are handled; and if he will make a statement. [13642]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: These have already been published in paragraphs 135 to 140 and in Appendix D to the 1986 annual report of the Animal Procedures Committee.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to ban the LD50 test; and if he will make a statement. [13675]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: Regulators, both national and international, still require that LD50 tests be carried out in certain circumstances to ensure that products are safe to the

6 Nov 1997 : Column: 286

consumer and to those involved in their manufacture and transport. A unilateral ban on the LD50 test would, at this stage, result in these tests being carried out in other countries, many of which have less rigorous controls on animal tests and less regard for animal welfare. Even if it could be maintained under current legislation, such a ban would also seriously disadvantage United Kingdom industry.

The Government are instead pressing regulators to dispense with the need for the LD50 test.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Animal Procedures Committee who have held a licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (a) during the last six years and (b) ever. [13680]

Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 4 November 1997]: Section 19(3) of the Act requires that, other than the Chairman, at least half of the members of the Animal Procedures Committee shall


under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 or its predecessor, the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

The members of the Committee who currently hold or have held within the past six years either a project or personal licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are as follows:








In addition, Mrs. Judy MacArthur Clark and Dr. Anthony Suckling have held licences under the Act, but not during the last six years.

Two more members, Dr. Southee and Dr. Purchase, held licences before 1987 under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

All members of the Committee are appointed because of their commitment to animal welfare. We intend to make a number of new appointments shortly and to increase the number of members with animal welfare expertise.

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