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The Ministry of Health (MOH)
proposes to introduce a new Bill to prohibit human reproductive cloning.
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The draft Human Cloning and Other
Prohibited Practices Bill will be put up on the Ministry's website (www.moh.gov.sg)
from 10 May 2004 to 31 May 2004 for public consultation and comment.
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The proposed Bill is a result of
careful consideration of the feedback received from the public and the
scientific community during the public consultation of the draft Regulation of
Biomedical Research Bill in November 2003.
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The Ministry received about 320
responses on the draft Regulation of Biomedical Research Bill from the various
professional organizations, religious groups, the scientific research
community and members of the public.
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Respondents generally agreed that
biomedical research should be conducted in an ethical manner, and supported
MOH's efforts to regulate biomedical research through a legislative framework.
Several respondents also strongly supported the ban on reproductive cloning.
The summary of the feedback received is available on MOH website.
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Based on the feedback received,
MOH has decided to adopt a step-by-step approach to regulate biomedical
research activities. As a first step, MOH proposes to introduce the Human
Cloning and Other Prohibited Practices Bill. This is because human
reproductive cloning is the most pressing issue at this time and attracts the
greatest ethical concerns.
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The proposed Human Cloning and
Other Prohibited Practices Bill will prohibit against placing of any human
embryo clone in the body of a human or the body of an animal.
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It also prohibits the import
and export of any human embryo clone into and out of Singapore, as well as the
commercial trading of human eggs, human sperms and human embryos.
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The Bill will also prohibit
certain practices associated with reproductive cloning activities such as
developing human embryos created other than by fertilization of human egg by
human sperm for a period of more than 14 days, and prohibition against
developing human embryo outside body of woman for more than 14 days.
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It will also prohibit the removal
of human embryos from the body of the woman for the purpose of collecting a
viable human embryo.
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Any person who carries out
reproductive cloning research shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not
exceeding $100,000, or imprisonment for less than 5 years, or both.
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Source: Ministry of Health Press
Release 10 May 2004
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Draft human cloning & other prohibited practices bill
