§ 12. Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will appoint a second veterinarian to the Advisory Committee on Experiments on Living Animals.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNo. My right hon. Friend does not consider that a change of this kind is called for in relation to the Committee's present functions.
§ 39. Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that establishments licensed to carry out experiments on animals keep records of the purchases of animals for vivisection and other purposes.
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§ Mr. Merlyn ReesLaboratory authorities are free to decide for themselves what records to keep of purchases of animals. As I informed the hon. Member in reply to his Question on 13th February, the question of bringing the supply of animals for research under statutory control is being kept under review.
§ 13. Mr. Kimballasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments on living animals designed to induce stress have been performed in the last two years; and whether applications so to experiment have been referred to the Advisory Committee.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI regret that it is not possible to give the figures requested, which are not shown separately by licensees in their annual returns. No special cases have come to notice in the past two years on which guidance from the Advisory Committee was thought to be desirable.