9. Mr. GREENWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Imperial Institute can be lawfully used for any purposes other than those mentioned in the charter of incorporation and specified in the First Schedule of the Imperial Institute (Transfer) Act, 1902; whether a part of the institute has been 923 and is now used for experiments upon living animals; whether such experiments come within any one of the purposes specified in the said schedule and, if so, under which if them; and, if not, whether he will undertake that such experiments shall no longer be carried out in any part of the institute?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, as the hon. Member will see from Section 3 of the Imperial Institute (Transfer) Act, 1902. The laboratory of the University of London, the director of which holds a licence for experiments on living animals, has been situated in the Imperial Institute building for some years past.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWYes, I have referred the hon. Member to the Statute.
Mr. GREENWOODIt is not a question of vivisection, but of breach of trust, and I want to know whether the right hon. Gentleman will take the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown as to whether this is or is not a legitimate use of the Imperial Institute under the Statute.
§ Sir P. MAGNUSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these laboratories are not in the Imperial Institute, but in a building which is part of the University of London?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have already informed the hon. Member of the Statute which in our opinion gives the power for this purpose. The Colonial Office has no doubt about the matter.