Last week I wrote to the Government about conditions at MBR Acres following hundreds of pieces of correspondence I’ve been bombarded with during the recent hot weather.
My letter was to Home Offuce Security Minister Dan Jarvis, under whom animal testing licensing sits, in order to allow him to address concerns regarding the conditions at MBR Acres in the recent and ongoing hot temperatures. MBR is due an ASRU inspection within the next four months.
I have also asked about the Government’s previous response that refused to give detailed information about MBR Acres owing to “national security concerns”. As the Member of Parliament I have never been made aware of such concerns.
I am awaiting a response but this is likely to be covered by the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes, which was presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 21 (5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The Code of Practice states "Temperature and relative humidity in the holding rooms shall be adapted to the species and age groups housed. The temperature shall be measured and logged on a daily basis. Animals shall not be restricted to outdoor areas under climatic conditions which may cause them distress".
The majority of correspondence I receive is not from constituents and is largely generated by activist groups like Camp Beagle and Free The MBR Beagles. Due to the nature of some of this correspondence I have to have a regular meeting with local Police.
I reiterate that I don’t support animal testing, but it is simply not possible to turn pre-clinical research involving animals off until funding has vastly increased and MHRA harmonisation takes place allowing recognition by the FDA, EMA and Swissmedic. I will continue to push the Government to accelerate this process and deliver their pledge to phase out animal testing.
