FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION

Early day motion 277, tabled 30 November 2009 by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 60 members.

That this House notes that section 24 of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, as recently interpreted by the Court of Appeal, prevents the Home Office from disclosing all information, however trivial, about animal experiments that researchers want kept secret; agrees that information such as researchers' names and addresses and genuinely confidential information should remain secret; but believes that the public should be able to access all other information, including what is being done to the animals and for what purpose; and calls on the Government to repeal section 24 using its powers under section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Signatures by party: Labour 34, Liberal Democrat 22, Conservative 2, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.