§ Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
- (i) whether any licences have been granted for experiments on dogs or primates at the Huntingdon Research Centre, and if so;
- (ii) how many for each species and for what purposes, and
- (iii) whether any of the experiments are being sponsored by the Imperial Group or Courtaulds to test smoking substances.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHAll 238 licensees who work at the centre are authorised to carry out experiments on primates, subject to the possession of the relevant certificates for certain procedures. One hundred and sixteen certificates give specific authority for some of the licensees to carry out experiments on dogs.
Both primates and dogs are used in toxicological and pharmacological studies. The sponsorship of an experiment is not a matter for consideration by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary in the exercise of his functions under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.
§ Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether synthetic smoking substances known as Planet or Cytrel are being tested on living animals on behalf of Messrs. Courtaulds, Gallagher, or Carreras-Rothman in this country, and if so, what licences have been issued for these tests.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHSynthetic smoking substances are being tested under the authority of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, but my right honourable friend the Home Secretary does not require the detailed information requested in order to carry out his functions under the Act.
House adjourned at twentynine minutes past nine o'clock.