Created by Alan Stirling Parkes
From May to Oct 1947
Description:

'SUPPLY OF MONKEYS

The present arrangement whereby monkeys are stored at the Institute for allocation and issue to other centres arises, I believe, from the fact that during the War only the Medical Research Council was able to import monkeys. The arrangement causes a good deal of work and worry and has gradually led to the idea that it is the duty of the Institute to provide monkeys whether or not it has, in fact, any available for issue, and whether or not animals are available through ordinary dealers. Moreover, the Medical Research Council no longer has a monopoly of import and the arrangement has, in any case, been made obsolete by the establishment of the Council's Laboratory Animals Bureau.

I raised this matter previously in March, and it was agreed, in principle, that the organisation and allocation of the monkey supply should be taken over by the Laboratory Animals Bureau.

Recent events have again shown up the imperfections of the existing machinery.

I suggest:

a) That all reguests for monkeys coming to the M.R.C. should be passed to the Laboratory Animals Bureau (as requests for other animals certainly will be).

b) That the Laboratory Animals Bureau should also beopen to recieve requests for monkeys directly from individuals or institutions, including Hampstead.

c) That the Laboratory Animals Bureau should be open to receive notifications of surplus or turn-out monkeys, and should ascertain from time to time what animals are available from dealers.

d) That the Laboratory Animals Bureau should co-ordinate supply and demand, and should be responsible for arranging importations as necessary, preferably through dealers, or through the M.R.C. if an official route is necessary.

e) That where the supply obtainable by the Laboratory Animals Bureau is inadequate the Bureau should allocate the available animals.'