You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

NORTHERN IRELAND

Fog Lights

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many motorists in Northern Ireland have (a) been given a fixed penalty notice and (b) been prosecuted for the unlawful use of fog lights in each of the last five years. [60990]

Mr. Ingram: The computerised records system does not permit a breakdown by particular offence. To provide the information requested would require a manual check of all records over each of the years in question and would incur a disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Medway Secure Training Centre

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trainees are currently held at Medway Secure Training Centre; and if he will make a statement. [61711]

Mr. Boateng: As of today, there are 36 trainees at Medway Secure Training Centre. This is fewer than the maximum of 40 trainees who may be held there because I have asked Rebound ECD, the contractors for Medway Secure Training Centre, to put in place a programme of work, including refurbishment, to address difficulties that have been experienced at the centre so as to ensure the high standard of care, control, education and training required by the contract. While this programme of work

26 Nov 1998 : Column: 15

is being taken forward, the number of trainees held at Medway will be reduced on a temporary basis to 25 to help facilitate this work. Other trainees will be placed in local authority secure accommodation. The Government are committed to ensuring that secure provision for those young people whose offending is so serious or persistent as to require a period in a secure environment is of good quality, positive and constructive in tackling offending behaviour. We are working closely with Rebound ECD to achieve that. We are monitoring the situation at Medway closely and will continue to do so.

Commercial Dog Facilities

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the results of the audit of commercial dog facilities that was announced in July 1997. [61712]

Mr. George Howarth: We have today laid before Parliament a report by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. Copies are available in the Library. This makes a number of recommendations for best-practice in dog facilities. I have asked the Inspectorate to ensure that these recommendations are implemented, as far as is practicable, in all establishments.

The recommendations will be incorporated into the Codes of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals--published under section 21 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986--when the Codes are next revised.

Animal Procedures Committee

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the annual report of the Animal Procedures Committee and the Committee's report on its review of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if he will make further appointments to the Committee. [61713]

Mr. George Howarth: We have today laid before Parliament the Committee's annual report. Copies are available in the Library. The report contains, at appendix F, a further report by the Committee on its review of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

26 Nov 1998 : Column: 16

I welcome the Committee's report and the agenda of work it has identified for itself during the review. I particularly endorse the Committee's conclusion that it should be more open and pro-active, and that its independent role needs to be emphasised. I have already agreed to provide a dedicated secretariat for the Committee to support this way of working and to help ensure that the Committee can continue to carry out its work in an efficient and effective manner.

I am pleased to announce that nine new members are being appointed to the Committee with effect from 1 December 1998. In making these appointments, I am strengthening further the animal welfare expertise on the Committee and also bolstering the scientific expertise needed by the Committee in examining the areas it has set itself, including ethical considerations, biotechnology, use of primates and animal welfare.

The new appointees are:



    Mr. Mike Baker--Chief Executive, British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.


    Professor Donald Broom--Professor of Animal Welfare, University of Cambridge.


    Professor Grahame Bulfield--Director and Chief Executive, Roslin Institute.


    Professor Stephen Clarke--Professor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool.


    Dr. Alan Holland--Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Lancaster.


    Dr. Colin Johnston--Associate Head of Research, Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Belfast.


    Professor Alan McNeilly--Deputy Director, Medical Research Council Reproductive Biology Unit.


    Professor Genevra Richardson--Professor of Public Law, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.

In publicly announcing the Committee's annual report, its review and the appointment of new members, I expect to outline other developments: the results of an audit of dog facilities and the intention of the Home Office to liaise with major grant-awarding bodies. These developments follow my recent announcement of an end to testing of cosmetics on animals in the United Kingdom.