§ 79. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the inspectors appointed for the purpose of investigating the experiments by vivisection under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, have previously held Certificate A permitting performance of experiments without anaesthetics; and whether he will consider appointing a nominee of the R.S.P.C.A. or other animal welfare society.
§ Mr. EdeOf the three prewar inspectors none had held licences or certificates. During the war one of these three died and the increase of work made it necessary to increase the staff from three to four. Two men were appointed during the war, each of whom had held a Certificate A, but neither had been doing experiments under the Act for 12 years or more. As the responsibility for the appointment of inspectors is placed by the Act on the Home Secretary, it would be wrong for me to undertake to accept nominations made by the R.S.P.C.A. or any other society.
§ 86. Mr. Challenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether having regard to the recent disclosures about the conditions of animals at a research laboratory during the hearing of a cruelty case at a police court, he will take steps to ensure that, as soon as may be, all inspectors appointed by his Department under the Cruelty to Animals Act are 111W qualified members of the veterinary professions and also that more regular inspections of research laboratories are made by such qualified inspectors.
§ Mr. EdeI should be glad to consider candidates with veterinary qualifications, but medical qualifications are essential in an inspector, and it is rare to find a candidate qualified in both professions. As respects the recent case at Oxford—which, I believe, is stillsub judice—the premises had been visited in the previous month by a Home Office inspector before the outbreak of distemper which was mentioned in the proceedings.