andMrs. Desmond asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the large increase in the number of experiments on living animals in this country last year and the growing public disquiet over such experiments as well as for economic reasons, he will impress upon the Medical Research Council the urgent need to find, possibly in collaboration with similar bodies abroad, alternative methods and techniques not requiring the use of living animals.

I am not aware that there is growing public disquiet over the number of experiments on living animals in this country. The fact is that the vast bulk of the experiments consist of simple injections in rodents which do not cause significant pain. They do not involve surgical operations. There is no practicable alternative way of doing this work which is of vital significance in the prevention and treatment of disease in humans.

My medical advisers keep themselves fully informed on developments elsewhere in this field.

I do not, therefore, consider it necessary or desirable to devote any of the available funds to research designed to seek alternative methods and techniques.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary saying that he does not intend making money available to seek alternative techniques? As a matter of information—and without being contentious about the matter—is it really true that these experiments are confined to mice, rodents and cattle only? Do dogs or other animals come into these experiments or are they confined to the three categories already mentioned?

I thought we had all of these questions before.

I have already told the Deputy that my belief is that they do not.

That they are confined to the three categories?

That is my belief.

20.