Asked by: Lindsay Roy (Labour - Glenrothes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) internal and (b) external complaints have been received by her Department about alleged breaches of the Civil Service Code of Conduct since 2010; and what actions her Department has taken in response to each such complaint.
Answered by Karen Bradley
This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Complaints are normally dealt with by the line management chain within
Departments in the first instance, with the most serious cases escalated to
senior managers, HR or the Permanent Secretary.
Where a Civil Servant is not satisfied with how the matter has been handled by
a Department, he or she can raise the matter with the Civil Service Commission.
The Commission publishes details of the number of complaints received annually.
Asked by: Lindsay Roy (Labour - Glenrothes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of animals used in medical research.
Answered by James Brokenshire
In 2010, the Coalition Government made a commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research and our Delivery Plan was published in February 2014.
The commitment is being delivered through a science-led programme. At the core of the programme is a commitment to the 3Rs, led by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), an organisation with a strong record in reducing animal use. The NC3Rs closely involves government departments and agencies, the Home Office Inspectorate, the research community in both academia and industry, and others with relevant animal welfare interests.
I am committed to reducing the use of animals in research and the Delivery Plan shows how alternative methods can deliver fast, high quality research that also boosts economic growth. The commitment is not concerned with just baseline numbers, but encompasses the replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) more broadly. Aiming to achieve a target of reduction would be a flawed approach because numbers are not within our control. Instead, the Delivery Plan looks to support an agenda with the 3Rs at its heart.
The scientific case for developing new techniques that do not require the use of animals is now as strong as the moral one. This Delivery Plan is therefore our starting point for the future and it will pave the way for future practice, both at home and abroad, and will cement the UK's place as an international leader in this field.