§ Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences for experiments on animals were refused by his Department's inspectorate in 1974; how many have so far been refused in 1975; and for what reasons permission was refused.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. The discretion to issue or refuse a licence rests with the120W Secretary of State and not with the inspectorate.
§ Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits his inspectors have made since 1st January 1975 to ICI establishments in which experiments are performed upon animals; and how many of the visits were made without the foreknowledge of the laboratories.
§ Dr. SummerskillInspectors have made five visits to such establishments since 1st January 1975, all of which were without notice.
§ Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits his inspectors made in 1974 to ICI establishments in which experiments are performed upon animals; and how many of the visits were made without the foreknowledge of the laboratories.
§ Dr. SummerskillInspectors made 17 visits to such establishments in 1974, of which 14 were without notice.
§ Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the ICI has applied for permission to duplicate the present series of smoking tests on beagle dogs that is due to end in July, or start another experiment in which dogs or other animals are to be used in further experiments in which animals are forced to inhale natural or synthetic tobacco or a combination of both.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe current licence, which was renewed in 1972, is valid until 1977, and there is no time limit on the certificates, which were given in 1971; I am not aware that the experiments are due to end in July.