§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what public finance is being provided through the Medical Research Council or otherwise into the use of the human placenta as a testing ground for drugs to replace live animals.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe Medical Research Council is not directly concerned with the testing of drugs except where such work may contribute to its own research programme. Though the MRC is providing support for a number of studies which relate to aspects of the human placenta, none of these currently involves the use of the placenta as a testing ground for drugs. The MRC is always prepared to consider sound scientific proposals for work that could lead to the replacement or reduction of the use of live animals in biomedical research.
It is possible that some research on the use of the placenta for testing drugs is being carried out at universities and medical schools using funds provided by the University Grants Committee as block grants for teaching and research, but details of such work are not available centrally. The Scottish Home and Health 22W Department is not at present supporting any research related to this field, but would give consideration to any application for support of such work, provided it was assessed as being of adequate scientific merit.