HC Deb 14 November 1978 vol 958 cc134-5W
59. Sir Anthony Royle

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving to banning experiments using animals which do not have an obvious reference to the treatment or prevention of disease.

Dr. Summerskill

The Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 permits painful experiments only when their purpose is the advancement by new discovery of physiological knowledge or of knowledge which will be used for saving or prolonging life or alleviating suffering. We do not consider that a more tightly drawn restriction would be justified.

Mr. Lomas

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many primates were used for experiments at the Life Science Research Laboratory, Stock in 1976, 1977 and to the latest available date in 1978; and what was the purpose of these experiments;

(2) how long the Life Science Research Laboratory, Stock, has been registered to perform experiments on living animals, under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876;

(3) how many persons are licensed at the Life Science Research Laboratory, Stock to perform experiments on living animals, during 1976, 1977 and to the latest available date in 1978; and what were the species used in these experiments;

(4) how many persons are licensed at the Life Science Research Laboratory, Stock at the latest available date; and if he will give the names of these persons, showing how long they have held a licence to experiment on living animals under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876; and how many have resigned during 1976, 1977, and to the latest available date in 1978.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The Life Science Research Laboratory, Stock, was registered under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 on 8th January 1973. For reasons of academic and commercial confidentiality, fully explained in a letter which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State sent my hon. Friend in May last year, it is not the practice to disclose information about experimentation at particular establishments.