asked the Minister for Health the number and species of live animals on which experiments were performed in 1982; the purpose and nature of such experiments and the number of licences granted to permit such experimentations on live animals; and whether he proposes any changes in the legislation in this area.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement attached, which I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

The procedures for control of experiments under existing legislation are being reviewed at present and I will consider the need for amendments in this legislation in the light of this review.

Experiments—1982

Note: Total number of licence holders who experimented was 115.

Could the Minister give the total figure for the number of live animals on whom experiments were done in 1982?

Deputy Shatter knows that the Chair deprecates invading a tabular statement. When a reply is given in tabular statement form, it should be left until the Deputy gets to the question.

It is not merely a statistical question that I have asked.

It was a tabular statement answer.

Other information was sought. Is the Minister in a position to give the total figure?

The total number of licences was 166 and the total number of animals used was 35,823.

Would the Minister agree, in the context of any amending legislation which he may seek to introduce, that experiments on live animals should be reduced to the minimum required in the context of medical matters? Would the Minister look at that matter in the context of the extraordinarily large figure of over 35,000 live animals on whom experiments were conducted in 1982? This is quite an enormous figure for a period of 12 months.

I am examining with care the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876, which is the relevant legislation. I would point out, however, that the number of animals so used in this country is 10 per cent of the number used in the United Kingdom.

I appreciate that the Minister may not have this information available to him, but does he have comparative figures for 1980 and 1981 in the context of the total number of live animals used?

There were 36,000 in 1981, 30,000 in 1980 and 42,000 in 1979.