In the news

Earlier this month, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics announced that it has set up a working party to look into the ethics of research into genetics and human behaviour. The working group will investigate the scientific basis for such studies, survey current work in this area, and consider what effects research on "behavioural genetics" might have both on individuals participating in the research and, as a result of any findings, on society in general. Any wider effect on society might include, for example, changes in attitudes to people with particular behavioural characteristics, or the development of genetic tests related to behaviour; such tests might have an impact in the areas of employment, legal cases, education and reproductive decisions. In March, the Council will launch a public consultation on this issue. This, together with the deliberations of the working party, will inform a report that is expected to be completed during 2002.