§ 19. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he is aware that a number of cases have recently been brought to the courts of cat stealing on a large scale and that several people have been convicted for this offence; that these cats have been stolen for sale to medical research laboratories, as admitted in court; that the cost of the defence and the fines have in some cases been paid by the Medical Research Council and that they have employed the same counsel, details about whom have been sent to him, in most of the cases; what authority exists for the payment of such expenses out of public funds; how much has been spent on each of these cases in the last six months; and what action he proposes to take to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
§ Mr. BevinsI am glad to have the opportunity of stating, quite unequivocally, that there is no truth whatever in the hon. Member's allegations against the Medical Research Council.
§ Mr. FreemanWill the Parliamentary Secretary make further inquiries, in view of the fact that counsel who defended these cases is known to have made a voluntary statement that the fines and costs have been paid either by the Medical Research Council or one of its members; and this is further confirmed by a Mr. Taylor, of 13, Rectory Square, London, E.1, who supplies over 100 cats a week, most of which have been stolen, to the Medical Research Council? Also, that the same counsel was employed to defend Mr. Taylor, and has been employed by him on repeated occasions—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member is asking a very long supplementary question.
§ Mr. FreemanIt is a very important Question.
§ Mr. SpeakerNo doubt it is, but there are other hon. Members who have equally important Questions they wish to ask.
§ Mr. FreemanIf I might conclude, some brothers named Bailey were recently ordered to pay £170 in fines and costs, and they have admitted that in that case 182 the cats stolen were sent direct to the Medical Research Council. In view of this, will the hon. Gentleman make further inquiries?
§ Sir H. ButcherOn a point of order. Might I ask, you, Mr. Speaker, to protect the value of Question Time by restraining the hon. Member from giving information rather than seeking it?
§ Mr. BevinsMy noble Friend has been into the matter with the most meticulous care, and he is satisfied that none of the suggestions contained in the Question is based on evidence. The barrister whose name was supplied to my noble Friend by the hon. Member has had no contacts of any sort with the Medical Research Council. As for the statements made in court by defendants, defendants sometimes tell the truth and sometimes they do not.
§ Mr. FreemanIn view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment on the earliest possible moment.