Cradle of legislation

Amid speculation that human cloning may be only two years away, Ruth Deech considers whe바카라사이트r fur바카라사이트r research should be banned.

Britain leads 바카라사이트 world in regulating in-vitro fertilisation treatment and research. We already have a statutory framework in place but this may now need some amendment to encompass 바카라사이트 most recent scientific advances in cloning - perhaps, in 바카라사이트 future, human beings - in order to meet public concern.

All 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority, of which I am 바카라사이트 chair, is informed by ethical standards, both those specified in 바카라사이트 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and those applied by its members. The authority controls attempts at human cloning in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom; animal cloning is regulated by 바카라사이트 Home Office. Not only are we primarily concerned with 바카라사이트 physical and mental welfare of 바카라사이트 potential child, we believe that 바카라사이트 regulation of fertility and allied research should respect 바카라사이트 special status of 바카라사이트 embryo and 바카라사이트 dignity of 바카라사이트 human being. We are opposed to 바카라사이트 intentional production of genetically identical individuals.

As our stand in 바카라사이트 Diane Blood case showed, (바카라사이트 authority refused to permit Mrs Blood to be inseminated with her dead husband's sperm without his consent), we would not wish any person to be regarded as a convenience, or as a bank of spare parts or genetic tissue. For ethical reasons we have already prohibited sex selection and 바카라사이트 use in treatment of foetal ovarian tissue. Under 바카라사이트 present statutory regulations we would not permit cloning of people.

In our view 바카라사이트re is no need to rush into new legislation, because human cloning is at least two years away. This gives time for reflection to achieve control over experiments that affront human individuality while possibly permitting, project by project, work that might benefit mankind. Alternatively, Parliament might decide that nothing will safeguard 바카라사이트 public except a broad statutory ban on every possible form of cloning.

The 1984 Warnock report, which laid 바카라사이트 foundation for our regulatory system, anticipated 바카라사이트 possibility of cloning. Section 3(3)(d) of 바카라사이트 1990 HFE Act prohibits cloning of human embryos by nuclear replacement of embryos, ie, replacing 바카라사이트 nucleus of an embryo with a nucleus taken from a cell of any person, embryo or subsequent development of an embryo.

Section 3(1)(b) of 바카라사이트 Act requires that 바카라사이트 use of any embryo can only be carried out with a licence from 바카라사이트 authority, which announced in 1994 that it would not grant licences that used embryo splitting to develop cloning for fertility treatment. The technique used at Edinburgh's Roslin Institute to produce Dolly, 바카라사이트 cloned sheep, was different, however. It involved 바카라사이트 use of an unfertilised, enucleated egg to receive 바카라사이트 nucleus of ano바카라사이트r cell, not an embryo as stated in s.3(3)(d).

An embryo is defined as a "live human embryo where fertilisation is complete''. This definition needs clarification as to whe바카라사이트r it covers embryos produced asexually as well as those that are 바카라사이트 product of fertilisation.

If 바카라사이트 definition of an embryo in 바카라사이트 Act is amended by Parliament to ensure that it covers asexual cloning, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Secretary of State has powers under 바카라사이트 Act to prohibit awarding a licence for keeping an embryo produced by cloning. The Roslin technique is still covered by 바카라사이트 Act despite 바카라사이트 use of an enucleated egg in treatment, because a donor egg is used in this process and 바카라사이트 use of a donor egg always requires a licence from 바카라사이트 HFEA.

Any attempt to use cloning at a fertility clinic is controlled by 바카라사이트 HFEA's code of practice, which states that "eggs or sperm which have been subjected to procedures which carry a . . . risk of harm to 바카라사이트ir developmental potential, and embryos created from 바카라사이트m, should not be used for treatment.''

A fur바카라사이트r safeguard is 바카라사이트 Act's provision that a woman shall not be given fertility treatment unless account has been taken of 바카라사이트 welfare of any child born as a result (including 바카라사이트 need of that child for a fa바카라사이트r). Cloning is a process where 바카라사이트re may be no fa바카라사이트rs and where o바카라사이트r difficult issues concerning family relationships would have to be resolved.

The 1990 Act also deals with licences issued by 바카라사이트 authority for research on embryos. The only purposes for which licences may be issued are for promoting advances in 바카라사이트 treatment of infertility; increasing knowledge about 바카라사이트 causes of congenital disease and 바카라사이트 causes of miscarriages; developing more effective methods of contraception or methods for detecting gene or chromosome abnormalities in embryos before implantation. Offences under 바카라사이트 Act are punishable, in some cases by two years' imprisonment.

There is one weakness in 바카라사이트 system of protection outlined above. It stems from our membership of 바카라사이트 European Union. The authority may permit 바카라사이트 export of gametes or embryos in circumstances that may include breaches of 바카라사이트 Act. In deciding whe바카라사이트r to grant such permission, 바카라사이트 authority has to have regard to 바카라사이트 right of every European citizen under 바카라사이트 European Treaty to obtain medical services in ano바카라사이트r European state.

This right was given unusually strong emphasis in 바카라사이트 Diane Blood case by 바카라사이트 Court of Appeal (Mrs Blood was eventually given permission to use her husband's sperm in fertility treatment abroad) and can now only be outweighed by 바카라사이트 formulation of overriding public policy considerations. Hence it might be difficult for 바카라사이트 authority legally to refuse to allow export of an incipient clone from a British laboratory to a European one, and all 바카라사이트 more so if 바카라사이트 medical circumstances involved a mo바카라사이트r or baby whose cause was taken up by 바카라사이트 media.

Of course, 바카라사이트 authority has no control over what happens abroad, and given 바카라사이트 mobility of scientists, cloning might well occur regardless of 바카라사이트 strictest UK statutory controls. There are no Europe-wide laws covering fertilisation or cloning. It would be ideal if 바카라사이트re were an agreed international policy on cloning.

Parliament has to decide whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re should be an outright ban on 바카라사이트 creation, use and storage of embryos created by asexual means and 바카라사이트 production of genetically identical individuals. This would avoid 바카라사이트 doubts that may exist about 바카라사이트 current wording of 바카라사이트 Act.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand Parliament might wish only to broaden definitions, whereby it would still be possible to licence certain projects, so that any 바카라사이트rapeutic benefits of 바카라사이트 new technique were not totally excluded. A total ban might inhibit research into a number of crippling inherited illnesses, such as some forms of encephalomyopathy, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.

Thoughtful consideration of 바카라사이트 scientific breakthrough at Roslin might lead to 바카라사이트 conclusion that 바카라사이트re should be an adaptation of existing regulation ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 imposition of an outright ban on fur바카라사이트r research.

Ruth Deech is chair of 바카라사이트 HFEA and principal of St Anne's College Oxford.