§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's letter of 15 January, PO1021981, what action he has taken as a result of the House of Lord's findings in relation to stem cell research and therapeutic cloning; and if he will make a statement. [128416]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonGovernment policy in this area of research has evolved following a number of influential reports, the most recent being that of the House of Lords Select Committee in February 2002. All of these reports have stressed the great potential of stem cell research and have concluded that no single source of stem cells should be worked on exclusively. The Government have made available, through the research councils, £40 million over two years for stem cell research, including stem cells derived from embryos, adult tissue, and cord blood.
The House of Lords confirmed, in its judgement of 13 March 2003, that embryos created by cell nuclear replacement (commonly known as therapeutic cloning) are fully regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Subject to strict criteria, licences 980W for the creation by therapeutic cloning of embryos for research may be granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.