§ Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the primate breeding centre at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton is still operative and, if so, for what purpose, for what output, and at what cost to public expenditure.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of DEFENCE (Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal)Rhesus monkeys and marmosets arc bred at the Chemical Defence Establishment for use in defence research. The units were set up in 1975 and 1976 and the numbers bred are as follows:
The initial capital cost was £46,000 and the present running cost is about £10,000 per annum.
Rhesus Marmosets 1976 2 0 1977 15 2 1978 16 16 1979 (est) 45 100