Meg Hillier on botox animal experiments

As a junior Home Office minister Meg Hillier has a broad portfolio and earlier this week she was asked questions about testing botulinum toxin, believed to be "the most toxic substance known to mankind" but otherwise known as botox. Her answers might not have been much help.

In July a report on animal experimentation was published which said there had been "an overall increase over the previous year of 14% in the number of procedures undertaken. The total number of procedures was just under 3.7 million, an increase of 454,000 over the previous year."

On December 1 2009 , Norman Baker, Lib Dem, asked: how many animals were used in regulated procedures at Wickham Laboratories in 2008; and how many such procedures were re-uses. [302772]

Meg Hillier: I am unable to disclose the number of animals used in regulated procedures at Wickham Laboratories in 2008.

Information on number of animals used in regulated procedures relating to individual establishments cannot be disclosed in order to protect statistical confidentiality, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (implementing the Statistics and Registration Act 2007) and the national statistician's guidance "Confidentiality of Official Statistics".

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulated procedures were carried out on animals at Wickham Laboratories in 2008; and how many of these involved potency testing of botulinum toxin. [302811]

Meg Hillier: I am unable to disclose how many regulated procedures were carried out on animals at Wickham Laboratories in 2008 and how many of those involved potency testing of botulinum toxin.

Information on number of regulated procedures relating to individual establishments cannot be disclosed in order to protect statistical confidentiality, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (implementing the Statistics and Registration Act 2007) and the national statistician's guidance "Confidentiality of Official Statistics".

Meg on DNA database: "It is worth stressing that a person's DNA being on the database does not suggest guilt; it is simply a registration of their DNA and basic biographical information. It is also worth asking which of the crimes solved thanks to the DNA database—the 452 homicides, the 644 rapes and the more than 8,000 domestic burglaries—the hon. Gentleman wishes had not been resolved as a result."

This view is not shared by Diane Abbott. It also seems unlikely that the neighbouring Labour MPs share the same views on the causes of and cures for unemployment in their constituencies. I don't know what Diane Abbott's views are on animal experimentation are.

(Meg Hillier started her job at Home Office in June 2007 and again on November 12 when she returned from maternity leave).