HC Deb 05 November 1930 vol 244 cc877-9W
Mr. FREEMAN

asked the Home Secretary whether any member of the advisory committee for the administration of the Acts relating to experiments on living animals was appointed to watch and safeguard the interests of the animals?

Mr. SHORT

The members of the advisory committee are appointed on the ground of their general suitability to advise the Secretary of State. There is no differentiation of function between the various members of the committee, and it is the duty of all of them equally to have regard to the interests of the animals as well as to any other considerations affecting the matters on which they have to advise.

Mr. FREEMAN

asked the Home Secretary what is the method of painlessly killing animals which, under certificate A or B, are found to be suffering pain which is either severe or is likely to endure; whether any record is kept of such cases; and, if so, how many were so killed in each of the last 10 years?

Mr. SHORT

The usual method is to administer an overdose of chloroform. No record is kept and information as to the number of such cases cannot therefore be given.

Mr. FREEMAN

asked the Home Secretary whether any record is kept of the purpose of every experiment on living animals?

Mr. SHORT

Every application for a licence and every certificate states the object of the experiments to which it applies; and a record of the nature of every experiment performed is kept by the licence-holders. This record is always open to examination by the inspectors.

Mr. BROMLEY

asked the Home Secretary if he has had his attention drawn to a recent case where a science teacher at Haverthwaite illustrated a lesson to his pupils by the vivisection of a cat, which he had chloroformed for the purpose; whether this teacher had a licence to vivisect and also if the school where the incident took place is a registered place under the Act of 1876; and if he will take steps to prevent such practices?

Mr. SHORT

My hon. Friend has been misinformed: there was no vivisection in this case. The animal was painlessly killed, and next day its body was brought to school and dissected. Such proceedings are not within the Act and require no licence, and my right hon. Friend has no power to take any action in the matter.