Human cloning to be banned

Contained within Alan Milburn's genetics speech last Thursday was an announcement that the Government will bring forward legislation to 'comprehensively ban all forms of human reproductive cloning'. This announcement was an 'attempt to reassure the public that government plans for fast expansion of genetic technologies in the NHS will not breach ethical beliefs'.

Speaking on the government's plans to 'secure public approval for progress, and the need to allay public fears about scientists 'playing God', he stated 'we need to deal with public concernÉ and recognise that public concerns are legitimate. There are boundaries which won't be breached.'

The Health Secretary has already instructed parliamentary draftsmen to start work on a bill banning human cloning. It is likely that the proposal will be included within Labour's election manifesto and that a bill will be ready to put before parliament at an early date in the next term of government.

Although cloning procedures are currently restricted to those who hold licenses, and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has said that no licenses will be given for reproductive cloning, Mr Milburn said that the only way to ensure it would never take place is to ban it outright. Such legislation would make Britain the first country worldwide to explicitly outlaw human cloning.