At the end of last year, when both houses of parliament approved changes to the regulations of the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act that would allow research into human embryonic stem cells, the Government agreed that the HFEA would not grant any licences for such research until a parliamentary select committee had reported on the issues. A
House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cell Research was accordingly set up in March, with a brief to examine the "ethical, legal, scientific, medical and commerecial issues" surrounding the new regulations. A list of ten specific questions cover aspects such as whether embryonic stem cell research might increase pressures to allow human reproductive cloning, whether commercial involvement in stem cell research might raise additional ethical difficulties, and whether the HFEA needs additional guidelines in deciding whether to grant any research licences under the new regulations. Evidence must be submitted to the Committee by 1 June and it expects to report to the Government by the end of the year.