Britain bans human cloning...
Britain has banned human cloning. Announcing the news at a conference in Newcastle-upon Tyne on 19 April, health secretary Alan Milburn said he hopes the decision will lay to rest the 'twin spectres' of human cloning and discrimination towards people whose DNA indicates a higher risk of certain diseases. New legislation will comprehensively ban all forms of human cloning and there is to be a moratorium on the use of genetic tests by insurance companies, he said. At the same time, the Government has promised to invest some UK£30 million on health, helping to make genetic testing for diseases like cancer more widely available on the National Health Service (NHS). It hopes to double the number of consultants in genetics in the country over the next five years and to establish two new national laboratories which will specialise in genetic testing and treatments. 'Britain's system of socialised health care means citizens can choose to take genetic tests, free from the fear they will face an enormous bill for insurance or treatment, or worse still that they are priced out of care or cover all together,' said Mr Milburn. 'Genetic advances lay bare the fallacy that private health insurance is the way forward in our country. Genetics strengthens rather than weakens the case for Britain's NHS.' onnemen
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United Kingdom