HC Deb 14 January 1980 vol 976 cc573-4W
Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on research carried out under the auspices of the Agricultural Research Council at the Babraham institute of animal physiology into shellfish toxin received from Fort Detrick in the United States of America; if this involved co-operation with United States agencies; and, if so, if he will list them.

Mr. Macfarlane

The programme of research at the Agricultural Research Council's institute of animal physiology has used certain biological toxins, including shellfish poison, for the study of animal physiology. This work has been of value in demonstrating the correlation between certain physiological activities.

A sample of shellfish toxin, which originally derived from Fort Detrick, was at one time used for this research, but the institute's programme is entirely separate from any work carried out by United States agencies.