§ Mr. Challenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has decided that a medical qualification is more necessary than a veterinary one for his inspectors operating under the Cruelty to Animals Acts, in view of the fact that the welfare and condition of the animals involved are just as much a part of their responsibility as the requirements of medical research.
§ Mr. EdeI have two main duties under the Act. One is to see that places where experiments are performed are properly inspected, and medical men are well able to do this. The other is to decide whether authority should be given for proposed experiments and, as the vast majority of the experiments are for the purpose of alleviating human suffering, an inspector without medical qualifications would rarely be in a position to give me the advice I require in this connection.