§ Mr. Burdenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent fertilised cow ova are now being transported into rabbit uteri and then transported back into the recipient cow for further development in official experiments; and for what reason.
§ Mr. Gerry FowlerI am advised that the sequence described by the hon. Member is not being followed in any current experiment known to the Agricultural Research Council or the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I understand, however, that research on the transplantation of fertilised cow ova at the ARC's Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Biochemistry occasionally involves the transfer, for short periods only, of microscopic fertilised ova into the oviducts of rabbits. This technique is designed to test the viability of cow ova after storage processes such as freezing. The objective of such research is to improve cattle stock through the storage of high quality fertilised ova and their later implantation into cows.