Dogs and old world monkeys

Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone has issued a series of written answers to parliamentary questions about the use of old world monkeys and dogs in research.

Questions from Labour MP Nic Dakin requested details of how many establishments use the animals in pharmaceutical toxicology and safety evaluations, and how many project licences the Home Office granted in a year.

The figures Ms Featherstone gave relate to 2010, the most recent year for which data are currently available.

She said:

• 36 project licences used old world monkeys, and 50 project licences used dogs, in scientific procedures started in 2010;
  
• 12 project licences used old world monkeys, and 30 project licences used dogs, in pharmaceutical safety/efficacy evaluation (including biological products, e.g. cells);
  
• 5 project licences used old world monkeys, and 8 used dogs, in method development or validation in toxicology or other safety efficacy evaluation;
  
• and 13 project licences used dogs in other toxicology or other safety or efficacy evaluation.
  
• 14 establishments used old world monkeys and 17 establishments used dogs, in scientific procedures started in 2010 in Great Britain;
  
• 4 used old world monkeys, and 11 used dogs, in pharmaceutical safety/efficacy evaluation (including biological products, e.g. cells).

Mr Dakin chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments, for which FRAME provides the secretariat.

Archived 3 August 2012