Harris: Ethics on both side of hybrid embryo debate

Liberal Democrat backbencher Dr Evan Harris played down the ethical differences between this bill and the 1990 legislation on hybrid embryos in the Commons.

"This is an issue of conscience, but that does not mean that it is a case of science versus ethics," he said.

"As I stressed on second reading, both sides have an ethical viewpoint. We must respect the fact that many people find it impossible to support any of the legislation for moral reasons, while many of us feel duty-bound to support the legislation for moral reasons. My conscience tells me to vote for the measures in the bill.

"The bill is not at all a radical departure from the principles of the 1990 bill. No one… can argue that there is a huge ethical distinction between the two-cell, eight-cell and 16-cell stages. Surely one cannot argue that it is okay for a two-cell entity to be created, but it is not okay for a four-cell entity to be created if the other requirements are met—that it is necessary or desirable for medical research and there is no other way of doing it."