HUMAN CLONING
“If genetic technology (eg pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) is used to avoid a baby being born with a genetic disease, likely to kill them early in life, and to ensure that the embryo has not inherited the relevant gene, I think that is a reasonable use of the technology”
“The vast majority of clones have widespread and unpredictable genetic and epigenetic faults.. how many thousands or tens of thousands of grossly abnormal cloned human beings would anyone be willing to create before a “safe” technique was developed? “
“Unease about late stage abortion is surely no justification. The only safe course of action would be to protect the human embryo from its very earliest point of unique existence (blastocyst?), and look for other ways to relieve suffering and disability.”
“I cannot agree that being a clone is "insulting to the inherent dignity of each individual"… being a monozygotic twin - that is, a genetic clone. Although we are very similar in physical appearance, and although we agree on many issues, we are totally distinct individuals, with different views and feelings on many issues.”
NEW FERTILITY TREATMENTS
“I'm deeply concerned about the proposals to allow lesbian couples to conceive a child … the disintegration of communities, the rising rate of violent crime and the widespread abuse of drugs are largely rooted in dysfunctional families”
“One of the main ingredients of past empires was a close family unit … because the family unit is being attacked we have people with no morality, so that teachers, parents, police and all authority is ignored “
“At the AGM of the HFEA, the Health Minister, agreed that the Department of Health would do everything possible to encourage gamete donation in the general public. I dispute that this is a necessary investment of public funds under any circumstances, but more to the point question the ethical appropriateness of such an initiative, given the life-threatening potential of egg donation.”
SCREENING AND THERAPY
“I don't believe that there are insurmountable psychological sequelae which preclude the procedure and the undoubtedly regrettable waste of embryos is probably outweighed by the entirely defensible benefit being sought.”
“I am in no way devaluing the embryo, rather acknowledging the harsh reality in medicine that every step you take in diagnosis and treatment involves potential harm of varying magnitude”
“No doubt a number of those parents who are dissatisfied with the selected sex of their child will seek and obtain an abortion. We should not endorse a technique which utilises abortion to ameliorate the prospective parents’ dissatisfaction with the sex of their child”
GENERAL COMMENTS
“No-one can predict the exact outcome of scientific research and if, as you suggest, scientists are constrained to use only adult stem cells it might be many years before it is shown that this approach won't produce the desired results”
“Is it really possible to create an environment whereby technology will only be used for good and not for harmful purposes? .. Take the example of nuclear weapons. It is often quoted that once the nuclear bomb was detonated, no physicists went to the party to celebrate, as they realised what had been unleashed to the world and the awful consequenses if it got into the wrong hands “
“New technologies are to the benefit of society in most cases but such technologies can have a profound impact on our society’s concept of marriage and the family and can do enormous damage to the core status of our society, both physically, emotionally and economically.”