§ Mr. Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that existing statutory provision would prevent the sponsoring of experiments on pigs such as those carried out in Denmark and sponsored by Amnesty International.
§ Dr. SummerskillUnder the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 an experiment to be performed under anaesthetics from which the animal is then to be allowed to recover requires a special certificate. Moreover, it is a requirement of the Act that every experiment authorised under it must be performed with a view to the advancement by new discovery of physiological knowledge or of knowledge which will be useful for saving or prolonging life or alleviating suffering. Whether experiments of the type, and for the purpose described, in recent newspaper reports could satisfy that requirement and whether we would be justified in allowing such a certificate would depend on the particular proposals. If such a proposal were to be made in this country we would not reach a decision without first referring the matter to the Advisory Committee on the administration of this Act.