§ Mr. Viantasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the approximate number of dogs used during the year 22W 1947 in the production of anti-distemper serum; and whether he can give an assurance that animals used in the manufacture of drugs or sera for medical or veterinary purposes are subject to the supervision of the inspectors appointed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876.
§ Mr. EdeI cannot give my hon. Friend the figure for which he asks as I am advised that in the production of sera no experiment within the scope of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, is made until the stage when the strength and purity of the product is tested. The number of dogs used in the testing of anti-distemper sera or vaccines during 1947 was approximately 450, and the places where such experiments are made are subject to inspection under the Act.