Biomedical Research and Testing

HC Deb 23 June 1976 vol 913 cc526-7W

Mr. Faulds

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what proportion of the total amounts currently spent by the MRC and the ARC on biomedical research and testing programmes is being devoted specifically to the development of replacement techniques;

(2) what are the total amounts spent by the MRC and the ARC currently on biomedical research and testing programmes.

Mr. Mulley

Biomedical research is the responsibility of the Medical Research Council, whose total estimated expenditure in 1976–77 is £37 million. The council considers that replacement techniques are most likely to emerge from the planning and conduct of research projects for which animals are being used, and not from separate programmes of development. It encourages its staff to develop and use techniques not involving animals and to publish results. It would be impracticable to allocate funds on the basis of the means rather than the purpose of the research.