Law allowing animal-human cell research clears hurdle

MPs fail to stop hybrid embryo bill in tracks

By Gavin Cordon

Published:

The Government’s controversial legislation to widen the scope of embryo research cleared its first Commons hurdle last night as a move to ban “hybrid” human-animal embryos was defeated.

An amendment to the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill tabled by Tory former minister Edward Leigh to outlaw the creation of hybrid embryos was voted down by 336-176.

A second amendment, tabled in the name of shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley and his deputy, Mark Simmonds, to ban so-called “true hybrids” was also defeated, this time by the narrower margin of 286 to 223.

A further amendment banning “saviour” siblings was also facing likely defeat – and the votes set the scene for a major showdown today over abortion, with a series of amendments to cut the current 24-week time limit.

The outcome of last night’s votes was warmly welcomed by researchers, who argue that the creation of hybrid embryos for the harvesting of stem cells is essential in the search for cures to degenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.

Medical Research Council chief executive Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said the result would keep the UK at the forefront of embryo research.

“The MPs’ clear support for stem cell research follows a rigorous and thorough public debate which has helped to explore the issues involved,” he said.

“It brings the right balance of opportunities to make headway to find cures for some of the most pernicious diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, whilst ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place through the law and the regulator.”

The All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, which spearheaded opposition to hybrid embryos, vowed to fight on throughout the bill’s remaining stages. The group’s campaign manager, Labour MP Ian Lucas, said: “To discuss the complex issues surrounding human-animal mixed embryos in three hours is offensively short. It gives MPs no time to explore the true implications.

“The bill now passes to further committee stages and we will continue to make all members aware of the facts and the ethical alternatives so a rational decision can be made.”

With MPs on all sides granted a free vote, the impassioned debate cut across party lines.

Three Roman Catholic Cabinet ministers – Defence Secretary Des Browne, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy – voted in favour of the attempt to ban hybrids.

The majority of the shadow cabinet – including shadow foreign secretary William Hague and shadow home secretary David Davis – also backed the ban, even though Tory leader David Cameron voted against.

Mr Leigh warned that allowing the creation of hybrid embryos to continue crossed the “ultimate boundary between humans and animals” and would turn the UK into a scientific “rogue state”.

Scientists argue that the stem cells harvested from the embryos, which are used to create brain, skin, heart and other tissue for treating diseases, would make up for a shortage in the availability of human eggs for research purposes.

Mr Leigh told the Commons that there was no “large-scale body of scientific evidence” that such research would produce a cure for anything.

“In many ways we are like children playing with landmines without any concept of the dangers of the technology that we are handling,” he said.

For the Tories, Mr Simmonds accepted that embryo research could offer a way forward but he raised concerns about “true hybrids”, in which human sperm was used to fertilise an animal egg, as opposed to hybrids that were predominantly human.

“I think there’s a very big difference between a cell that has a 51% animal make-up and a 49% human make-up and one that has a 99% human make-up,” he said.

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said the shortage of human eggs presented a “significant barrier” to embryonic stem cell research while experts believed hybrid embryos were a “pragmatic” solution to the problem.

She assured MPs that such research would be tightly regulated.

“Any licence application to create a human admix embryo for research will need to prove to the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) that the proposed use of the embryo is necessary,” she said.

The battle now moves to abortion, with MPs set to vote today on a series of amendments to cut the current 24-week limit to between 22 and 12 weeks.

Again, MPs will be given a free vote.

There is also likely to be a hard-fought attempt to block moves to make it easier for lesbian couples to receive IVF treatment.