HC Deb 17 July 1975 vol 895 cc571-3W
5. Mr. Burden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Advisory Committee on Experiments on Animals encompasses all the proposals in Recommendation 71 of the Littlewood Committee; and, if not, how its composition and aims differ from Littlewood's recommendations.

Dr. Summerskill

The reconstituted Advisory Committee follows Recommendation 71 of the Littlewood Report in that it now includes four independent non-scientific members and will be asked to advise my right hon. Friend on

are as in the following table; figures for Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Giro orders issued by the Department of Employment for unemployment benefit and supplementary allowance are not included. The figures in columns 3 and 4 are the number and estimated value of Giro orders reported not received, lost or stolen which were investigated either because they had been found cashed after replacement or because the claimant whose order had not been replaced admitted receipt and encashment when confronted with the original order.

individual proposals of a novel or controversial character, taking into account a wider point of view than the scientific and technical. We are also examining the possibility of seeking the committee's advice on proposals for experiments involving stress. The main differences from the recommendation are a slight difference in the composition of the scientific membership; that the committee's terms of reference do not include general oversight of, or the giving of advice on, a variety of practical matters affecting the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876; and that the committee will not submit an annual report.

26. Sir J. Eden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how soon he now expects to receive the report of the Advisory Committee on the Administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 on the experiments which have been using dogs and other animals to test new smoking materials; and if he will publish the full text as soon as he makes known his decision whether or not these experiments should be stopped.

Dr. Summerskill

We expect to receive the report in the autumn. Publication, and its form, will then be immediately considered.