§ MR. CUMMING MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the increase in the number of experiments of vivisectors upon animals this year over last year, the numbers being 32,562 in 1905, as against 19,084 in 1904, being a total increase of 13,478; whether, in view of this increase, he will take steps to reduce this number.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Akers-Douglas.) I am of course aware of the increase pointed out by the hon. Member. The particulars on pages 4 and 5 of the Annual Return show that this increase is almost wholly in the experiments included in Table IV. (B), i.e., experiments of the nature of simple inoculations or hypodermic injections, and a very large proportion of those experiments were performed on behalf of official bodies. The progressive rise in the total number of experiments in recent years has been due almost entirely to the constantly increasing importance attached by the public and public authorities to experiments upon animals as a means of obtaining the knowledge required for the diagnosis of disease or for the prevention of disease in men and animals. It is not for me to take any action in the direction suggested. My duties under the statute are confined to seeing that the proposed experiments are conducted in conformity with the provisions of the Act.