| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals - Great Britain, 2005
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan): I wish to announce that the publication entitled Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals—Great Britain—2005 is being presented as a Command Paper (6877) today. Copies will be placed in the House Library.
This annual report meets the requirement in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to keep Parliament informed about the use of animals for experimental or other purposes. It also forms the basis for meeting periodic reporting requirements at EU level. There has been criticism in previous years, including from a House of Lords Select Committee, for providing too much detail and not being very digestible or reader-friendly. Therefore some changes have been made to improve the contents and layout of this publication with the intention of making the publication easier to comprehend and follow.
The report shows an overall increase over the previous year of 1.4 per cent. in the number of procedures undertaken. The total number of procedures was 2.9 million, an increase of 41,300 over the previous year. Although this is the highest total since 1992, it does not necessarily signal an established upwards trend in animal use. A number of factors, including the economic climate and global trends in scientific endeavour, determine the overall level of scientific procedures.
Non-toxicological procedures accounted for about 86 per cent. of the procedures carried out in 2005. These included studies for fundamental biological or applied research in human and veterinary medicine, with the main areas of use being for immunological studies, pharmaceutical research and development, and cancer research.
Procedures for toxicological purposes accounted for the remaining 14 per cent. of all procedures. About 73 per cent. of these were for testing the safety and efficacy of new drugs and medicines.
In keeping with previous years, those procedures that used mice or rats (or other rodents) were the great majority at 84 per cent. Those using fish amounted to 8 per cent. and those using birds, 4 per cent. The total of all procedures using dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates, that is, those species offered special protection by the Act, was less than 1 per cent. of the total.
Genetically normal animals were used in about 1.65 million regulated procedures, representing 57 per cent. of all procedures for 2005 (compared with 59 per cent. in 2004 and 84 per cent. in 1995). Genetically modified animals (nearly all rodents) were used in 957,500 regulated procedures representing 33 per cent. of all procedures for 2005 (compared with 32 per cent. in 2003 and 8 per cent. in 1995).
These trends have been evident over recent years, reflecting the changing balance in use between genetically normal and modified animals, and are set to continue as advances in genetic science open up new and promising avenues of research.
I should point out in relation to the statistics that the Home Office, as regulatory authority under the 1986 Act, does not control the overall amount of animal research and testing which takes place, the imperative being to minimise the numbers of animals used for justifiable purposes. We ensure, in carrying out our licensing function, that the provisions of the Act are rigorously applied in each programme of work. All animal use must be justified, and for each particular programme of work the number of animals used, and the suffering caused, must be minimised.
Passport Fees
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan): The Privy Council has made an Order in Council, the Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2006, which gives authority for a revision in passport fees. The revision will take effect on 5 October 2006. The fee for a standard 32 page passport will increase from £51 to £66 while the fee for a 48 page passport will increase from £62.50 to £77. The fee for a passport for a child will increase from £34 to £45. The fee for an adult using the guaranteed one week counter service for a standard 32 page passport will increase from £77.50 to £91, for a child from £70 to £80 and a 48 page jumbo from £87 to £97. The fee for an adult using the guaranteed same day service for a standard 32 page passport will increase from £96.50 to £108, for a child from £83 to £93 and for a 48 page passport from £104.50 to £114.50. The fee for a collective passport, for organised trips for schools and youth groups, will remain unchanged at £39.
This increase represents the second stage of the two year fee agreement reached with HM Treasury last year. This followed a stringent review of costs to ensure that the fee for each type of passport service closely reflects the production costs accrued by that service and bears its share of the cost of consular protection services. This increase will deliver extensive improvements required in the ongoing efforts to combat passport and identity fraud.
United Kingdom Passport Service (Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan): The UK Passport Service annual report and accounts 2005-06 have been laid before Parliament today and will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House on publication. This will be the last annual report and accounts issued by UKPS whose activities were transferred to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) from 1 April 2006.
International Development
Gaza and Lebanon
The Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn): I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip.
In Lebanon, the crisis has led the UN to estimate that at least 500,000 people have been displaced. Insecurity and damaged infrastructure is making it difficult to reach those in need of medical care, food and water supplies. The supply of electricity has stopped to most villages and towns in southern Lebanon. Stocks of fuel will be exhausted in two weeks. Factories producing medicines, milk, wood, and housing supplies have been destroyed. It is clear from
aid agencies that they need immediate and safe access to the displaced and the wounded and those requiring humanitarian assistance. I support the proposals by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross—ICRC—for safe humanitarian access, but ultimately the security situation needs to stabilise in order to ensure that vital assistance can get where it is needed.
We have responded to international appeals for humanitarian aid. Following the initial response I announced last week, I am today committing a further £2.2 million to support humanitarian relief, including for the UN Flash appeal, which has been launched today. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund is also providing an initial contribution of $5 million (of which the UK share is $1.4 million [£770,000]). This brings the total UK commitment to £5 million, and we stand ready to do more as needed. DFID is deploying two humanitarian advisers to the region. Two stabilisation and recovery advisers will join them shortly. The Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit is helping cross-government planning for the UK’s contribution to stabilisation and recovery, immediately hostilities cease.
The situation in Gaza is also very difficult. Following the Israeli attack on Gaza’s only power station, electricity is limited to supplies received from Israel. Households receive six to eight hours’ electricity per day. Electricity is vital for hospitals and clinics, which need constant supplies of power to run medical equipment and keep drugs at constant temperatures. It is needed to pump fresh water to houses and to treat sewage. It is essential for the safe storage of food and for processing flour to make bread. Most households in Gaza are receiving two hours of water per day. This means they do not have reliable access to water for drinking, personal hygiene and washing clothes. According to the World Health Organisation, cases for diarrhoea among refugee children in Gaza in early July were 50 per cent. higher than the same period last year. Humanitarian supplies are vital. The Rafah crossing was opened temporarily on 18 July to allow those stranded at the crossing in desperate conditions to enter, and the Karni crossing was temporarily open for humanitarian and commercial imports. But both are now closed again. Action is needed to ensure unrestricted humanitarian access, including the supply of medical equipment, fuel, food and electricity.
The UK made a contribution of £15 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in April, which provides basic services for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the Middle East. This is helping UNRWA provide healthcare and other basic services to Palestinian refugees, who comprise 70 per cent. of Gaza’s population. The EU collectively provides over half of UNRWA’s funding, and the UK last year was the third largest bilateral donor.
The European Union has established a temporary international mechanism to support the basic needs of the Palestinian people. The mechanism will provide support to health, education and social affairs, help to pay for utilities and assist the very poorest Palestinians. The UK stands ready to allocate up to £12 million to the mechanism, plus our share of the European Community contribution, giving a total of up to
£25 million. The mechanism has already enabled much needed fuel supplies for emergency generators after Gaza’s only power station was damaged by military action. These fuel deliveries are keeping hospitals open, water pumps going and waste treatment plants open. The mechanism will soon start making payments to health workers in both Gaza and the West Bank to ensure they can continue to provide essential medical care. We welcome the decision of G8 leaders to immediately expand the mechanism to provide wider assistance to the people of Gaza, we are working closely with the Quartet and others to ensure that this happens.
The UK is also providing assistance to the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to enable it to monitor closely the humanitarian situation in Gaza to assist donors and others to make sure help gets to those who need it most.
It is particularly important for the humanitarian welfare of innocent civilians in Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza that there is an end to the violence on all sides. The UK Government support efforts to put in place a durable ceasefire.
Northern Ireland
Devolution
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Hain): On 15 May, Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly were recalled to participate in a process to secure the full restoration of the institutions in Northern Ireland on or before 24 November. The Assembly rose on 7 July for summer recess and will reconvene on 4 September.
Following their discussions with the Northern Ireland political parties in Parliament Buildings, Stormont on 29 June, the Prime Minister and Taoiseach issued a statement which again reiterated their commitment to the November deadline and called for all sides to commit to a period of genuine and frank political engagement on the outstanding issues in the months ahead.
A work plan was also published alongside the statement in order to assist the parties in their work between now and the November deadline. Both the statement and the work plan have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The plan allows for the Preparation for Government Committee to continue its valuable work during the summer recess and I have recently provided for the creation of sub-groups within the Committee to deal with the issues of devolution of justice and policing, changes to the institutions and the economic challenges facing Northern Ireland.
I have made clear previously that, in the event that devolved government is not restored on or before 24 November, all MLAs' salaries and allowances will be cancelled with immediate effect. I have repeatedly stressed that it remains the Government's firm hope that devolution can and will be restored by that
deadline but I wish to ensure that MLAs have the fullest of opportunities to arrange their affairs in advance. My officials have therefore written to all MLAs explaining the implications of the termination of allowances for MLAs in respect of their responsibilities as employers of their staff and for their constituency offices. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Prime Minister
Ministerial Gifts 2005-06
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): I have today published a list of gifts received by Ministers. The list provides details of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than £140 for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Ministerial Travel
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): Expenditure on Ministerial overseas visits for the last three financial years and for the year 1996-97 is as follows:
| Expenditure (£million) | |
|
(1 )The figure for 2005-06 reflects payments made so far for travel undertaken in the period; a few bills have yet to be submitted to departments for payment. | |
A list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.
Special Advisers
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): Listed below are the names of special advisers in post at 24 July 2006, the special advisers’ pay ranges for 2006-07, the number of special advisers in each pay band by department and the total pay bill cost of special advisers for 2005-06.
All special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers providing assistance on the full range of their appointing Minister’s departmental responsibilities. Where a special adviser has a specific expertise or works mainly in a particular area of the department’s work this is indicated.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |