The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit of introducing a compulsory retirement programme for animals used in laboratories and scientific experiments; and if she will make a statement.
Norman Baker
European Directive 2010/63/EU which was implemented in the UK and other Member States on 1 January 2013 provides Member States with discretion to allow re-homing schemes. It also requires that where Member States have allowed re-homing, they will also ensure that a re-homing scheme is in place that ensures the socialisation of the animal.
The Directive permits Member States to go beyond the requirements of the Directive, on the basis of animal welfare, only where the provisions were already in place in November 2010. The Directive does not provide legal grounds on which the UK can impose such a mandatory obligation of re-homing as part of licensing.
The UK legislation allows re-homing. The requirements are provided for in licence conditions and by virtue of section 17A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
On our acceptance of certain reassurances, relating to section 17A of the 1986 Act, authority may be given to re-home animals being held at an establishment. This applies to those animals that were bred or held for supply for use in regulated procedures, were intended for use in regulated procedures, or have been used in regulated procedures and are being kept alive under the care of the Named Veterinary Surgeon. This authority would relate to individually identified animals and records would be held at the establishment to confirm that such animals had been re-homed.
Consideration is normally given to the release of animals from the controls of the Act if there is no scientific requirement for them to be humanely killed at the end of the procedures. Some animals are not released if veterinary advice indicates that they may not remain in good health, or that their temperament would not be suited to such an environment.
Comprehensive guidance on setting free and re-homing is given in section 5.21 in the Guidance on the Operation of the 1986 Act. The Home Office intends to provide further advice about the re-homing of laboratory animals from licensed establishments where there are provisions in the legislation. Animals which have been born into, and lived all their lives under, laboratory conditions may not be able to adapt to a different lifestyle and may be very distressed by such change. There must be provision for careful individual assessment as well as a structured socialisation programme to ensure that re-homing is in the best interests of the individual animal.
