Human clone block likely for 18 months

By ANGELA GREGORY

Cloning humans or transplanting animal material into people is likely to be restricted for at least 18 months in New Zealand.

A supplementary order paper lodged in Parliament yesterday aims to restrain attempts at human cloning and xenotransplanting.

It has the support of the Government and is due to be reported back to the House in March.

Labour MP Dianne Yates said it would probably take effect shortly after, and mean human cloning could take place only with the approval of Health Minster Annette King.

Ms Yates said she was pleased about the stop-gap measure while the Government considered her bill on human assisted reproductive technology.

Her private member's bill, which bans human cloning and commercial surrogacy, has been making slow progress before the health select committee.

Ms Yates said the order paper was tagged on to amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Bill, which amended the Medicines Act.

"It will prevent people coming from overseas who are looking for somewhere to experiment with cloning - such as the infamous Dr Antinori," she said.

Professor Severino Antinori is part of an international team seeking to become the first to clone a human.

He says human cloning could be carried out in Asia or in a secret Mediterranean country and claims his team has cloned nine monkeys this year.

Ms Yates said the proposed legislation was similar to legislation being passed hurriedly in countries around the world to prevent practices that people generally found controversial.

The supplementary order paper has a sunset clause to mid-2003 which, she said, should provide time to consider in greater detail the medical, ethical, theological and legal issues involved with human cloning.

Feature: Cloning humans

Professor Severino Antinori

Human Cloning Foundation

bioethics.net

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