HL Deb 28 January 1959 vol 213 cc871-4

2.35 p.m.

LORD DOWDING

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the specific case of a cargo of monkeys sent by air from Addis Ababa to this country, en route for Canada, in view of the facts that on arrival at Hum Airport on 15th January it was found that over 200 had died during transit, while many others were sick and dying; that they were given injections and other veterinary attention, during which more died, and that the journey of the survivors to Canada was hastily resumed; and also to the general case of Indian monkeys, including many sick and pregnant animals, retained for weeks on a Sussex farm with no veterinary attention, pending despatch to commercial and other laboratories; and to ask whether, in view of this evidence of neglect and callousness, Her Majesty's Government will reconsider their refusal to appoint a Commission to inquire into the working of the existing vivisection laws.]

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, inquiries have been made into the particular cases to which the noble and gallant Lord refers, but no evidence has been found to support the charge of neglect and callousness. As regards the last part of the Question, the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, which regulates experiments on living animals, has no application to these cases, and Her Majesty's Government can therefore see no reason to reconsider the question of an inquiry into the working of the Act.

LORD DOWDING

My Lords, that reply gives rise to a number of supplementary questions which I hope I may be allowed to put one at a time, in order to avoid confusion. It may be that the noble Lord who replies will require notice of some of these questions. May I ask, first, whether any diplomatic inquiries were made at Addis Ababa with regard to the transport and loading of the monkeys at the starting point?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, so far as I am aware no diplomatic inquiries were made. The responsibility in this country for the monkeys, as I understand the matter, was confined to their being in transit through this country in the part of their trip when they were in this country.

LORD DOWDING

My Lords, have any inquiries been made as to how many of these monkeys survived the journey to Canada, and, of those, how many were sick?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I cannot give that information. They were not, if I may put it this way, our monkeys; they were Canadian monkeys by purchase. We know how many left here, but I have no information on how many actually arrived in Canada.

LORD DOWDING

My Lords, would the noble Lord not consider, when he absolves us from responsibility for what happens to animals in transit through this country, that this case is rather analogous to that of the Irish horses which used to be sent through this country for slaughter on the Continent? In view of the suffering entailed to those animals it was decided that that traffic should be forbidden. Is it not possible to do the same in this case?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I do not think that anything I said endeavoured to absolve us from any responsibility for these monkeys. Indeed, I should say that the opposite had happened, because the action taken was extremely good, as the noble and gallant Lord knows. Tremendous efforts were made. The monkeys were suffering largely from a bacteriological infection of the nature of enteritis, and the most tremendous efforts were made, both by the veterinary services and by the R.S.P.C.A., to do everything they could to restore these monkeys to a state of health.

LORD DOWDING

Were sick and pregnant monkeys sent to Shamrock Farm in unheated vans?

LORD CHESHAM

Not to my knowledge.

LORD DOWDING

Were there any persons at Shamrock Farm qualified to give veterinary attention?

LORD CHESHAM

With regard to Shamrock Farm, where monkeys are kept after having been imported, all I can say is that there exists the general law protecting animals which are kept in captivity; that is, the Protection of Animals Act, 1911. I may add that this particular farm has been inspected by the police and by the R.S.P.C.A., neither of whom found any grounds for any action.

LORD DOWDING

My Lords, if I may say so, that is not a reply to my question. Is the noble Lord aware that two, and sometimes three, monkeys were kept in cages which are I think called "Visichick" cages, which are designed for occupation by one hen?

LORD CHESHAM

No, my Lords, I was not aware of anything of the kind. I have no knowledge of where the noble and gallant Lord obtains his information, but I should be very surprised to hear that on this farm, which had been visited and inspected by both the authorities particularly concerned with the application of the Protection of Animals Act, there were things going on which should not be.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether any representations have, in fact, been received from the R.S.P.C.A. pointing out any cruelties or anything of that nature?

LORD CHESHAM

No, my Lords.

LORD DOWDING

My question referred to the state of affairs at this farm before an employee there gave information. In the mid-autumn, were there at this farm an incinerator, sterilising apparatus, isolation accommodation or even washing facilities?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I am certainly not in a position to be able to answer "Yes" or "No" to the noble Lord's question. I have already said twice that the authorities concerned with preventing cruelty to animals were satisfied with the place, and I do not think I can say any more than that.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, would it not be better, if one wants to read from special pre-preparation half a dozen or more supplementary questions, to put them down in the form of a Resolution?

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)

My Lords, I think the noble Viscount is probably right, but, as your Lordships know, one is very slow to interfere with individual Peers in their discretion.