This Government promotes advances in biomedical science and technologies that include stem cell research, in vitro systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging and new computer modelling techniques.<\/p>
These advances are providing new opportunities to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research. Animals can only be used where there is no practicable alternatives and where the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) have been fully implemented. There are no plans to legislate for conducting human-relevant science.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1539", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre and Preston North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Ben Wallace"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-10T15:51:23.123Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Science: Research"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to support human-relevant science.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "272219"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634140", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634140/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office regulator maintains engagement with the neuroscience community, as recommended by the Weatherall report 2006. To understand the ongoing relevance of primate research the regulator attended meetings in 2016, arranged by funders and neuroscientists, at which severity assessment was discussed. The regulator also engages regularly and pro-actively with the breadth of stakeholders across the life science community through to animal protection and welfare groups.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1539", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre and Preston North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Ben Wallace"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-29T17:07:02.68Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Primates: Animal Experiments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations her Department has received from primate users to reassess its prospective assessment of the term severe for non-human primates subjected to head and/or body restriction and water and/or food restriction on neuroscience research.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "52551"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634146", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634146/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The prospective severity classification takes account of the highest severity likely to be experienced by any animal used in the protocol. The information related to prospective severity for scientific procedures on non-human primates that involve head and/or body restraint and/or fluid and or food restriction in each of the last 5 years is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number and actual severity of procedures conducted on non-human primates can be found in the \u201cAnnual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals\u201d published here:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1539", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre and Preston North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Ben Wallace"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-29T17:05:24.64Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Primates: Animal Experiments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licences her Department has approved for scientific procedures on non-human primates that involve head and/or body restraint and/or fluid and or food restriction in each of the last five years; and what the severity limit for each such procedure was.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "52554"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634147", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634147/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
During the harm-benefit analysis the Home Office will assign the severity classification in accordance with European Directive 2010/63/EU which has been transposed into the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (as amended) and is published at:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consolidated-version-of-aspa-1986<\/p>
All non-human primate project licence applications which are potentially severe severity are also considered by the Government\u2019s independent scientific advisory body, the Animals in Science Committee, for scrutiny and advice before a decision is taken on whether, and on what terms, they may be granted.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1539", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre and Preston North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Ben Wallace"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-29T17:07:24.803Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Primates: Animal Experiments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will maintain a severity level of severe for procedures on non-human primates involved in neuroscience research that involves restraining the animals by the head and/or body for several hours every day and the use of fluid and/or food restriction while they are forced to undergo repetitive tests.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "52552"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634148", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634148/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Animal welfare is at the forefront of any decision to use animals in research, and the Regulator requires robust evidence that the research complies fully with the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, refinement and reduction). In addition, Inspectors require a justification for the use of non-human primates, setting out what results they contribute to the project that no other animal could provide.<\/p>
Applications which involve head and/or body restraint and/or fluid and/or food restriction also require particular explanation and justification as to why those techniques are needed and how they can be refined to reduce suffering. The Home Office regulator considers every application, including the associated severity assessment, for a project licence on a case by case basis.<\/p>
Home Office Inspectors, all with veterinary or medical qualifications, conduct a harm-benefit analysis to ensure that any harm that may be caused to animals is justified by the potential benefits. The regulator has published operational guidance, detailing how project licence applications are assessed, and further advice on how the harm-benefit analysis process applies to all project licence assessments.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1539", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre and Preston North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Ben Wallace"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-29T17:06:43.307Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Primates: Animal Experiments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department applies when considering applications for licencing neuroscience research on (a) non-human primates in general and (b) on primates which involves head and/or body restraint and/or fluid and/or food restriction in particular.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "52553"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634149", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/634149/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Project licence holders or suitably qualified individuals acting on their behalf are expected to classify actual severity at the end of the series of procedures based on day-today observations of the animals, and submit the data to the regulator as part of the annual returns process. The regulator has published guidance on the assessment and reporting of the actual severity experienced by animals that have undergone regulated procedures. The first requirement to report actual severity to the regulator was from 1 January 2015 for procedures ending in 2014 and are published at:<\/p>