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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in his discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry on lengths of time for animal experiment project licence applications; and if he will make a statement.- Inc ref to 1 November 2000, 355 c517W.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

13 December 2000

For answer on

20 December 2000

Answered on

20 December 2000

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in his discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry on lengths of time for animal experiment project licence applications; and if he will make a statement. [143405] Mr. Mike O'Brien: This Government fully accept that the progress of scientific research and the development of new drugs and medical technologies depend on the use of animals and I am well aware of concerns about the level of regulation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. I am keen to look at ways of reducing this, but only where it will not compromise animal welfare. The regulation is in place to create the right balance between protecting animals and ensuring that the United Kingdom science and biotechnology industry is able to move forward. Home Office officials have been working closely with those from the Department of Trade and Industry and representatives of the scientific community in the working group dealing with animal experimentation chaired by the Minister for Science as part of the Prime Minister's pharmaceutical industry competitiveness task force. I understand that he will be reporting to the Prime Minister on this shortly. In the course of these discussions, the local ethical review processes have been identified as a significant source of delay in many instances in the processing of applications for project licences under the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The working group has been examining how the operation of the local ethical review processes can be made more efficient in licensed establishments. In this context, I announced that I have asked the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate to carry out a review of the ethical review processes, 1 November 2000, Official Report, column 517W. The Inspectorate has been asked to report by the middle of 2001. In addition, a note is about to be issued to establishments restating Home Office requirements and expectations as regards the local ethical review processes. This is intended to provide insights into current practice that certificate holders and others may wish to take into account when reviewing the efficiency and effectiveness of their own processes.

Date

20 December 2000

Reference

360 c218-9W; 143405

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers and (b) police constables there were in Sussex in (i) 1979, (ii) 1992, (iii) 1997 and (iv) the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. - Inc table.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

14 December 2000

Reference

359 c269-70W;359 c267-8W; 142766

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce a closed season for (a) hare coursing and (b) shooting; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c181W;359 c179W; 141748

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to alter the penalties applicable to drivers driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c183W;359 c181W; 142107

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vehicle-related crimes occurred in Sussex in each year since 1979. - Number of thefts of vehicles and thefts from vehicles are given in table.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 December 2000

For answer on

13 December 2000

Answered on

13 December 2000

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicle-related crimes occurred in Sussex in each year since 1979. [142137] Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of thefts of vehicles and thefts from vehicles are given in the table. Recorded crimes--Sussex _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Theft of vehicle Theft from vehicle 1979 3,685 4,144 1980 3,864 4,302 1981 3,717 5,162 1982 4,157 7,278 1983 3,729 7,363 1984 4,686 7,716 1985 5,009 8,238 1986 5,290 8,870 1987 5,262 9,167 1988 5,497 10,065 1989 6,226 11,051 1990 7,210 15,465 1991 9,251 21,020 1992 9,006 22,981 1993 7,664 20,703 1994 6,701 18,286 1995 6,763 19,263 1996 7,424 20,217 1997 6,979 19,188 1998-99{1} 7,076 18,258 1999-2000{1} 7,721 17,419 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Year ending March

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c182W;359 c180W; 142137

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences involving (a) firearms and (b) knives there were in Sussex in each year since 1979. - Includes table and ref to number of offences involving knives is not collected centrally.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 December 2000

For answer on

13 December 2000

Answered on

13 December 2000

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving (a) firearms and (b) knives there were in Sussex in each year since 1979. [142110] Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of offences involving knives is not collected centrally. The number of firearms offences in Sussex for the years requested is given as follows, and is the total for all firearms, including air weapons. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Number 1979 74 1980 63 1981 91 1982 63 1983 42 1984 65 1985 74 1986 74 1987 92 1988 103 1989 165 1990 193 1991 184 1992 198 1993 208 1994 195 1995 189 1996 177 1997 218 1998-99{1} 315 1999-2000{1} 377 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Year ending March. There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which increased the overall number of offences recorded, of which firearms offences are a subset

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c182W;359 c180W; 142110

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the use of replica guns in perpetrating criminal activity; what plans he has to introduce measures requiring replica guns to be obviously different from real guns; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c183W;359 c181W; 142109

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to hold (a) a firearms and (b) a knife amnesty.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 December 2000

Reference

359 c183W;359 c181W; 142111

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what factors are taken into account in granting permission for marches to pass the Houses of Parliament whilst the Commons and Lords are sitting; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

29 November 2000

Reference

357 c680W; 140790

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for New Forest East, of 9th November, Official Report, 356 c402W, on the Hinduja family, for what reason the outcome of the investigations was not awaited before a decision on whether or...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

28 November 2000

Reference

140306; 357 c513W

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for South Suffolk of 13th November, Official Report, 356 c539W, on police station closures, how many police stations have (a) opened and (b) closed in Sussex in each year since 1979. -...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

28 November 2000

Reference

357 c513-4W; 140266

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) discussions (i) he and (ii) officials from his Department had with and (b) information was received from (A) the Indian police force and (B) other sources concerning investigations being undertaken by the Indian Police into allegations concerning Srichand...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

24 November 2000

Reference

357 c350W; 140308

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are applied to requests for extradition of British nationals to India in cases where the request concerns an Indian-born British national.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

24 November 2000

Reference

140309; 357 c350W

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings he has had with Lord Birt regarding crime since Lord Birt's appointment as an advisor to the Government on crime; and what reports on crime he has been presented with by Lord Birt. - Ref to 17...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 November 2000

Reference

357 c211W; 137321

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many legal advisers are employed by his Department; and of those how many advise on matters relating to animals. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 November 2000

Reference

357 c149W; 138913

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 17th April, Official Report, 348 c379W, on animal experiments, if he will provide a breakdown of the total yearly government expenditure on research into alternative methods that do not involve animals, stating (a) which departments...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

14 November 2000

For answer on

21 November 2000

Answered on

21 November 2000

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 April 2000, Official Report, column 380W, on animal experiments, if he will provide a breakdown of the total yearly Government expenditure on research into alternative methods that do not involve animals, stating (a) which departments (i) carry out and (ii) sponsor such research, (b) how much is spent by each and (c) the type of animal research for which alternatives are sought; and if he will make a statement. [138991] Mr. Mike O'Brien: Further to my previous answer of 17 April 2000, Official Report, column 379W, I repeat that most of the work done on alternatives is neither done by the Government nor with Government money. The budget the Home Office makes available to the Animal Procedures Committee for research into alternatives has, nonetheless, risen to £265,000 for 2000-01. By "alternatives", we are referring to the development and promotion of alternatives which (1) replace animal use, (2) reduce the number of animals used or (3) refine the procedures involved to minimise suffering (3Rs). This money is not the only money spent by Government departments on alternatives. For example, the Health and Safety Executive, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Medical Research Council have, in the past year, been very active in taking initiatives in this area. Last year, the Home Office asked the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Northern Ireland Office for an indication of the level of each department's funding of alternatives. It was very difficult for these departments to specify exactly how much they spent on alternative research because: they could not identify all such work that is sponsored, which would involve extensive reviews of thousands of different projects; and many programmes of work which are not specifically intended for developing alternatives do, nevertheless, result in that development, by design or chance. The amount spent does not relate to annual set allocations of funds, as provided for the Animal Procedures Committee. The Home Office was, however, provided with an estimated figure, totalling over £2 million, for the yearly expenditure across Government for research into alternatives. I work closely with other Government departments to ensure the rigorous application of the 3Rs. Additionally, the cross-Whitehall concordat on data sharing should enable Government departments to reduce the duplication of tests on animals.

Date

21 November 2000

Reference

357 c149-50W; 138991

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 24th July 2000 at 354 c456-7 on animal experiments, what measures his Department is taking to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised when project licences are considered and granted while trying to make the...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 November 2000

Reference

356 c429W; 137536

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used to classify a project 1 procedure under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as being likely to be of substantial severity; and if he will make a statement; how many procedure 1 projects under the Animals...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

31 October 2000

For answer on

8 November 2000

Answered on

8 November 2000

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what criteria are used to classify a project 1 procedure under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as being likely to be of substantial severity; and if he will make a statement; [136599] (2) how many procedure 1 projects under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, as a proportion of the total, were in the substantial severity category for each of the last 10 years. [136600] Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 sets out the criteria for determining severity levels. Two different types of severity levels are set on project licences; a severity limit for each protocol authorised in the licence and an overall severity banding for the project. The severity limit for each protocol is determined by the upper limit of the expected adverse effects that may be encountered by a protected animal, taking into account the measures specified in the licence for avoiding and controlling these effects. It represents the worst potential outcome for any animal subjected to the protocol, even if it may only be, and often is, experienced by a small number of the animals to be used. Indeed, it may never be encountered. Protocols of substantial severity may result in a major departure from the animal's usual state of health or well-being. These include: acute toxicity procedures where significant morbidity is an endpoint; some efficacy tests of anti-microbial agents and vaccines; major surgery; and some models of disease, where welfare may be seriously compromised. If it is expected that even one animal would suffer substantial effects, the procedure would merit a substantial severity limit. The Secretary of State will not license any procedure likely to cause severe pain or distress that cannot be alleviated. Licence holders are required by conditions in both project and personal licences to minimise any pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm and to approach the set severity limit only when absolutely necessary. The assessment of the overall severity of a project reflects the cumulative effect of each procedure. This assessment is used to weigh the likely adverse effects on all the animals to be used against the benefit likely to accrue. It takes into account not just the level of suffering that might be reached, but also such factors as the number of animals involved; the frequency of use of each procedure; the proportion of animals that are expected to be exposed to the upper severity limits; and the length of time that animals will experience such adverse effects. The severity bandings of project licences were introduced into the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals in 1998 at Appendix B. Figures before that date were not published in the annual statistics, but were generally included as part of the Annual Report of the Animal Procedures Committee. Figures are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number Project Licences issued during 1991 Substantial 11 Total 685 Project Licences issued during 1992 Substantial 33 Total 1,257 Project Licences issued during 1993 Substantial 21 Total 1,444 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1994 Substantial not readily available Total 4,013 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1995 Substantial 72 Total 3,977 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1996 Substantial 66 Total 3,869 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1997 Substantial 66 Total 3,765 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1998 Substantial 66 Total 3,650 Project Licences in force on 31 December 1999 Substantial 66 Total 3,481 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Legislation

Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

Date

8 November 2000

Reference

356 c253-4W; 136599;136600

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Trans-Sexual Working Group established in April 1999 has reported to him; and if he will make a statement. - Ref to 354 c697W.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 November 2000

Reference

356 c254W; 137315

House

House of Commons

Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for West Worcestershire of 24th July, Official Report, column 452W on the future of the three tower blocks in Marsham Street SW1, if the evaluation of the two private sector consortia involved...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 November 2000

Reference

356 c108W; 136714

House

House of Commons

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