UK parliament publishes information on genetic databases
The UK House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has published the written evidence to its new Inquiry into Human Genetic Databases. 'It provides a rich resource for the second stage of our inquiry,' said Lord Oxburgh, who chairs the sub-committee undertaking the Inquiry. 'In a series of hearings, we shall probe the opportunities and concerns arising from not only the current position but also developments that are likely to follow from it. Our report in Spring 2001 should help provide a solid foundation for discussions - by the Human Genetics Commission (HGC) and others - about the future regulatory arrangements in this complicated area.' The document is also intended to provide useful background for the HGC's public consultation on the storage, protection and use of genetic information which is to be launched on 27 November. The published material is available on the UK House of Lords web site at the URL below.