Media Releases

New licensing committee for human embryo research

A committee which will be responsible for licensing the use of human embryos for research in Australia has been announced by the Minister Responsible for Human Cloning Kevin Andrews.

KA159/2003
16 May 2003

New licensing committee for human embryo research

A committee which will be responsible for licensing the use of human embryos for research in Australia was announced today by the Minister Responsible for Human Cloning Kevin Andrews.

The nine-member Committee will be a principal committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and was established by the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002, which was passed by Federal Parliament last year.

The Chair of the Committee will be Professor John (Jock) Findlay, a Victorian expert in research and human reproductive medicine and Chair of the World Health Organisation's Advisory Committee on Human Reproduction.

"Never before has a committee of this sort been appointed in Australia," Mr Andrews said. "It will consider applications for a licence to use excess human embryos for research and refuse or grant licences, subject to conditions.

"The Committee will monitor compliance with the legislation by appointing inspectors and taking necessary enforcement action, such as cancelling or suspending licences. It will also report to the Commonwealth Parliament on the operation of the Act and the licences issued.

"Basically, the Committee will oversee the national regulatory system described by the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 and the Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002."

Prof. Findlay, will be joined by members including the Chair of the NHMRC's Australian Health Ethics Committee, Dr Kerry Breen; the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania, Professor Don Chalmers and Dr Megan Best, Lecturer, Health Law and Medical Ethics at the University of NSW.

Members were appointed following consultation with State and Territory Ministers.

The NHMRC received $6.6million in this week's Federal Budget to implement the requirements of the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 and the Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002.

Media enquiries: Felicity Dargan (Minister Andrews' Press Secretary) 0409 550 446

Other information: Jeanne Klener, NHMRC Media Unit, (02) 6289 5796

Members of the NHMRC licensing committee:

• Chair: Professor John (Jock) Findlay, Deputy Director, Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Victoria;
• Dr Kerry Breen, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne;
• Dr Christopher Newell, Lecturer, Medical Ethics, University of Tasmania;
• Dr Megan Best, Lecturer, Health Law and Medical Ethics, University of New South Wales;
• Dr Peter Illingworth, Director, Reproductive Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Sydney;
• Professor Donald Chalmers, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania;
• Dr Julia Nicholls, Member, ACCESS, National Infertility Advocacy Group, South Australia;
• Ms Helen Szoke, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Infertility Treatment Authority;
• Dr Graham Kay, Cancer Institute, Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

The NHMRC licensing committee will:

• consider applications for a licence to use excess Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) embryos;
• refuse or grant licences, subject to conditions;
• establish and maintain a publicly available database with information about licenses issued;
• monitor compliance with the legislation by appointing inspectors and taking necessary enforcement action, such as cancelling or suspending licences; and
• report to the Commonwealth Parliament on the operation of the Act and the licences issued under the Act.