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Proceeding contribution from Lord May of Oxford (Crossbench) in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 29 October 2008. It occurred during Debate on bill on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL].


Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

I am sorry, my Lords—embryonic stem cell research. I agree with the noble Lord that, on occasion, the medical benefits and their immediacy are oversold in excesses of enthusiasm. That is nowhere plainer than in some excessively enthusiastic claims made for non-embryonic stem cell research, which, the noble Lord must agree in all fairness, he tends, understandably, to accept more uncritically than he does other things. I will not go over the ground covered by the noble Lords, Lord Walton and Lord Winston, and the previous speaker, but I re-emphasise that we have legislation; we have a committee on human fertilisation and embryology; we have procedures that look very carefully at these matters; and we have research grants and a process for choosing the best that works well. Ultimately, to put it bluntly, the purpose of this amendment is to impede a certain class of research within that, and that is why I oppose it.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
704 c1611 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Disclosure of information Civil partnerships Adoption Animals Congenital abnormalities Fertility Homosexuality Licensing Human embryo experiments Diseases Genetics EU law Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Fathers Medical treatments Mental capacity Standards Research Registration Storage Surrogacy Stem cells Human-animal hybrid embryos
Legislation
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HL) 2007-08
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk