Lords reject call for ban on hybrid-embryo research
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
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The House of Lords last night decisively rejected attempts to ban research on hybrid animal and human embryos as Christian activists mounted a protest outside Parliament.
Hundreds of demonstrators from Christian Concern For Our Nation (CCFON), some wearing cow and rabbit masks, joined the protest, which was staged to coincide with the report stage in the House of Lords of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. The Bill could give Britain the scientific lead in licensing research on hybrid embryos for up to 14 days.
The Bishop of Winchester said the Bill was the point at which a line should be drawn. His concerns were echoed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. He was also supported by Lord Tebbit, the former Conservative Party chairman, who said peers faced a "deep ethical dilemma" over "unnatural" experiments.
Lord Tebbit said: "Because it is possible to do something doesn't mean it should be done, because it might bring some great benefit to some people doesn't mean it should be done."
The trio supported an amendment by Lord Alton, the Liberal Democrat peer, prohibiting the creation of animal-human embryos. "I have always believed that life begins at conception, and after that I don't believe we should destroy life."
But the Health minister Professor Lord Darzi said that "unnatural" discoveries included IVF treatment, which had saved many lives and enabled couples to have children. He assured peers that the licences would be limited to 14 days. Lord Alton refused to withdraw his amendment, but it was defeated by 268 votes to 96.
Lord Darzi said understanding of stem cell research had increased significantly. "We are... more confident than ever that the end result... will be new treatments for serious diseases and medical conditions."
The shortage of embryos had led to calls for the use of animal embryos for hybrid research. Lord Darzi said the need for hybrid embryo research to be licensed was underlined by the publication yesterday of a report by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Medical Research Council. "There is a strong cohort of the international scientific community who believe there is a rich future for research into embryonic stem cells," he said.
