Foetal Material (Research) (Hansard, 25 July 1989)

§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Together with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales I am arranging for the report of the committee to review the guidance on the use of foetal material and foetuses for research (Cm. 762) to be published today. A copy has been placed in the Library. We are most grateful to the Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne, FRS and his committee for producing their report on this complex and sensitive matter in just over a year.

The Government accept the Committee's main recommendations which are that: The use in research of foetuses showing signs of life is no longer in general to be permitted (the Peel code permitted this in certain circumstances); The mother's consent to the use of foetal tissue for research of therapy is required; The mother's consent for such purposes should not be sought until she has given her consent to the termination of pregnancy. She should not be informed of the specific use which may be made of foetal tissue, lest this may influence her decision to have her pregnancy terminated; The Government should begin negotiations with the Medical Research Council and relevant professional bodies with a view to setting up an intermediary body which would receive tissue for research or therapy from centres willing to provide it. Those wishing to undertake research or therapy involving foetal tissue would obtain it from this intermediary. The committee's recommendation is founded on the principle of keeping the practice of abortion separate from the use to which any tissue might be put.

676W

The principal change proposed by the committee is a substantial revision of the guidance on the use of foetuses for research in the Peel report published in 1972 in the light of subsequent developments including the use of foetal tissue in transplants involving patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. Letters are being sent to all health authorities in Great Britain commending the use of the revised code in the NHS and to all proprietors of private sector facilities approved under section 2 of the Abortion Act 1967.

The Government will actively pursue the other recommendations in the report and in particular will shortly begin discussions with the Medical Research Council and the relevant professional bodies with a view to setting up the intermediary body which the committee recommends should become the sole agency in this country from which those wishing to carry out research or treatment involving the use of foetal tissue should obtain it. The committee recommended that its report should be kept under regular review with the professional bodies concerned. I will arrange for this to be done on a five-yearly basis.