Gudrun Schultz
Lifesite
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
LONDON, United Kingdom, December 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- British researchers would be permitted to create human/animal
embryo hybrids using test tube technology, under sweeping new
proposals to be introduced by government health officials this
week, the Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday.
Known as "chimeras", the embryos would be produced
by combining human and animal genetic material within a laboratory
setting--the North East England Stem Cell Institute has already
requested permission to create an embryo that is part human and
part cow.
"The overarching aim is to pursue the common good through
a system broadly acceptable to society," British Health Minister
Caroline Flint said in a report on the policy changes obtained
by the Sunday Telegraph.
Other changes include removing the current requirement that a
child's need for a father must be considered when a woman seeks
fertility treatment. Single women and lesbian couples would have
the same access to fertility treatments as heterosexual couples.
Screening embryos for genetic conditions which have the potential
to lead to "serious medical conditions, disabilities or miscarriage"
would be allowed, as would screening embryos in order to select
a child that would be a tissue match for a sibling suffering from
a "life-threatening illness."
However, screening for sex selection would not be permitted under
any circumstances.
The new proposals would also forbid the creation of a human embryo
by using the genetic material from two women, bypassing the need
for a male.
The new measures are intended to upgrade the 1990 Human Fertilization
and Embryology Act, paralleling advances in science and ensuring
the law is "fit for purpose in the early 21st century.
Under the new proposals, the Human Fertilization and Embryology
Authority and the Human Tissue Authority would be replaced with
a Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos.
Additional changes would regulate the passage of information
between sperm donors and potential children. Sperm donors would
be granted "access [to] limited, non-identifying information
about children conceived as a result of their donations."
As well, "in some circumstances" donors would have
the right to be informed when their identifying details were provided
to their children once they reached age 18. Also at age 18, the
children would be able to find out if they have siblings from
the same donor.
The coming proposals have been anticipated for some time, after
urging by prominent leaders in the UK scientific community. A
report introduced by members of the British Parliament's Science
and Technology Select Committee in 2005 recommended relaxing current
research restrictions to permit experimentation on human/animal
hybrids, along with other proposals to permit screening of embryos
for identifying genetic malformations and sex selection purposes.
The policy changes are expected to be released on Friday. Legislation
would follow next year.
Read Telegraph coverage:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&am...
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
National Geographic Reports Human/Animal Hybrid Creatures being
Created in Labs Around the World
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jan/05012712.html
UK Cloning Doctor Wants to Create Human/Rabbit Hybrid Clones
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jan/06011306.html
UK Parliamentary Report Recommends Animal-Human Hybrids, Sex
Selection and More
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/05032406.html
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