§ Mr. Roland Boyes (Houghton and Washington)It is my honour to present a petition containing in excess of 60,000 signatures from all parts of Great Britain. The petition could have been even greater because, according to opinion polls, 80 per cent. of the population are against the use of animals for experiments for warfare purposes. The overwhelming majority of people have expressed that view several times and are extremely hostile to the use of animals for warfare experimentation.
The experiments are cruel and the animals, if they are lucky they die quickly, otherwise they die horrendous, painful and often lingering deaths. The vast majority of the experiments are commissioned by the Government and carried out at the Government's own research establishment at Porton Down, but the work is often contracted out to other institutions which carry out equally cruel experiments on animals. Such experiments are a disgrace in a civilised society and must be stopped immediately because the results are of no value. Human beings have no right to use other sentients for the purposes of animal experimentation for warfare. I, along with the other 60,000 signatories agree with that view.
To lie upon the Table.