HC Deb 08 March 1927 vol 203 cc1046-8
70. Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLE

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received from his inspectors, under the Cruelty to Animals Acts, any reports during the last five years indicating either demonstrations before classes of students or painful experiments of a prolonged and agonising nature on dogs or other animals; and, if so, what action has been taken, and with what result?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Captain Hacking)

No, Sir. No such experiments would be permitted and there is no evidence whatever that any have taken place. In the case of experiments before students, they are all required to be performed under anæsthetics and the animal must be killed before it recovers consciousness. As regards other experiments, all holders of licences who have certificates either dispensing with the requirement to use anæsthetics or permitting the animals to recover from the preliminary operation under anæsthetics are subject in respect of every such experiment to a special condition known as the pain condition. The terms of this condition are printed in the Report which is laid by my right hon. Friend each year before the House and are such as to render "experiments of a prolonged and agonising nature" impossible. For many years past the inspectors under the Act have not found any instance of an infringement of this condition; if an inspector did observe any animal to he suffering considerable pain he would at once order it to he killed.

Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLE

Is the hon. and gallant Member aware that the specific statements which he declares in be untrue are being publicly circulated by the National Canine Defence League and are said to have resulted in a very large number of subscriptions? Can Le do anything to prevent such misleading statements?

Captain HACKING

I know that many things are said by many organisations which are not true, and I hope that my answer will get as wide a circulation.

Mr. BROMLEY

Can the hon. and gallant Member say that some of the inspectors who are put to watch these proceedings have not themselves been vivisectors and, therefore, in sympathy with them?

Captain HACKING

No, Sir. That is a very unfair thing to say. The inspectors carry out their duties very creditably to themselves and to this House and to all concerned.

Mr. BROMLEY

Have there not been such inspectors?

Mr. SPEAKER

I do not think the hon. Member ought to make such suggestions in a supplementary question.