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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

I, too, feel uncomfortable about the definition in new Section 4A(5)(e), which refers to ““such … thing””. That seems rather a curious definition in any legislation coming before your Lordships’ House. However, I should draw to your Lordships’ attention the views of the Wellcome Trust, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Association of Medical Research Charities, which support the inclusion of a definition of interspecies embryos of the two hybrids, the cytoplasmic embryos, the transgenic embryos and the rest. One thing that has been postulated, although I think that it is very far into the future, is that with the creation of such hybrid embryos—about which I feel I have a somewhat sneaking feeling of discomfort—by inserting human genes into an animal embryo you might be able to create an animal that would be a source of organs for transplant. People have been trying to use pig livers for transplant, for example, due to a shortage of organs for human transplantation. The problem with that was a viral difficulty and a major incompatibility. However, I believe that it is something that is being looked at for the future of research. The group of important bodies to which I referred supports the inclusion of a regulation-making power in new Section 4A(5)(e) to make adjustments to the definition of interspecies embryos in light of the difficulties of defining all the types of such embryos that might be created in future. They believe that to be an important and sensible approach to future-proofing of legislation. I pass that suggestion on from these bodies as something that they have made clear in their views.