The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has recently granted a licence to the Clinical Sciences Research Institute, University of Warwick, which permits the creation of human-pig hybrid embryos for research purposes.

This licence is purportedly enacted under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The Christian Legal Centre, together with Comment on Reproductive Ethics, has already filed legal papers for a Judicial Review over the decisions earlier this year by the HFEA to grant licences to Newcastle University and Kings College London for their research into degenerative diseases using animal-human hybrids.

While Parliament has recently passed the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that allows for the granting of licences for human-pig hybrid embryo research, the 1990 Act did not.

Professor Justin St. John, the leading researcher on this project at the University of Warwick stated “This new licence allows us to attempt to make human pig clones to produce embryonic stem cells.”

The third reading of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is expected to take place in Parliament as early as next week.

Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON) have produced an Information and Action Pack on this issue.