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Press Release: Embargo, Immediate Thursday April 10th 2003

Lib Dems Support for Stem Cell Research

East of England Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff has voted against moves by a majority in the European Parliament to restrict stem cell research for medical purposes. The Parliament's decision took place at the first reading of a draft directive to set quality and safety standards for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, storage and distribution of human cells and tissues.

Mr Duff and his European Liberal Democrat colleagues opposed moves to extend the scope of the proposed EU measure into the research field, arguing that such regulation should be better managed at national level.

'Such research may hold the key to cures for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,' argues Duff, 'and it is irresponsible for MEPs of conservative persuasions to seek to muddle ethical issues about the cloning of human beings with this limited and necessary advance in medical science.

'Many researchers in Cambridge and elsewhere in the region would be hard hit by any further restrictions concerning the use of embryos for medical purposes. The unfortunate impact of what the parliament has done is to impose unnecessary regulations and significant new costs creating barriers and disincentives to European bio-science and biotechnology.'

The defeat in the European Parliament took place at the First Reading of the draft directive. Liberal Democrat MEPs will be seeking to overturn the restrictions when they are considered again later after the probable passage of the draft law through the Council.

Opinion Polls suggest that the British public are broadly in favour of stem cell research, and a survey published this week showed that 70% of people said the use of human embryos acceptable in research to find treatments for serous diseases. ENDS

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Andrew's work
in the European Parliament since 1999

Andrew is Vice-President of the European Parliament delegation to the Constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe.

Rights for EU citizens

Andrew drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights which has strengthened the rights of all the citizens of the European Union.

Turkey

Andrew is working for improved links between the EU and Turkey, to encourage improvements in Turkey's human rights record and to enhance its democracy.

Andrew's campaigning in the East of England

Airport Expansion

Andrew has led calls for the Air Travel industry to be subjected to the same rigorous environmental criteria as other modes of transport