§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Following reports in the Sunday Times of 18 February, what action they intend to take to raise with the Bush Administration the consequences of permitting the development of a cloned baby; and what is their policy concerning the proposed adoption of babies produced via reproductive cloning by British nationals. [HL939]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)The United Kingdom and the United States discuss topical health issues in a number of international bodies. However, we have no plans to raise with the US the specific issue of cloning babies.
The US has observer status at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the Council of Europe where human reproductive cloning has been condemned. In 1997 the World Health Assembly (WHA) also passed a resolution condemning human reproductive cloning. The WHA is the annual meeting of the World Health Organisation with a membership of 191 member states including the US.
The decision to grant an adoption order must be taken in the light of what is in the best interests of the child. This, and the law on adoption, applies regardless of the circumstances of the child's birth.