The Home Office has announced that safeguards designed to protect the identity of scientists involved in experiments on animals are to remain in place.

Minister Caroline Flint confirmed on Thursday that restrictions on the information publicly available on animal scientific procedures will be maintained.

After reviewing the issue, it was confirmed that Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 would remain in force.

The legislation forbids the disclosure by Home Office ministers and officials of confidential information relating to the use of animals in scientific procedures.

However, the timing of the announcement is set to raise questions.

In the Commons on Wednesday, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, Jonathan Djanogly, told the prime minister that some of his constituents continued to be "terrorised" by animal rights activists.

It was also revealed last weekend that home secretary David Blunkett has served as a patron of the Humane Research Trust, which aims to eliminate the use of animals in human medical research.

Flint also announced that the government would publish anonymised information on the nature and scale of animal testing in the UK.

"Protecting scientists and their families from intimidation and harassment and tackling animals rights extremism is a priority for the government," said Flint.

"Section 24 will be retained for the time being, ensuring that information that is open to abuse is not put directly into the public domain.

"Animal research is essential to protect human health and has contributed to almost all of the medical advances made in the last century."

Flint added that ministers were committed to ensuring that any use of animals in experiments is justified and only undertaken when there is no alternative method.

Responding to the announcement, Djanogly said it was "good so far as it goes, but not adequate".

The Conservative MP, who has research company Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) based in his constituency, is seeking further action from ministers.

"As things stand, the shareholders and secured lenders to animal testing companies need to be placed on a public register which has led to research companies such as HLS leaving the country and re-registering abroad," he said.

"Measures have been brought in to protect the privacy of company directors and this now needs to be extended to shareholders and funders."