London, England, Mar 25, 2008 / 18:17 pm
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided to allow a free vote on the “ethical” aspects of a controversial fertilization and embryology bill after some Catholic cabinet ministers said they were prepared to resign their positions rather than vote for the bill, the Guardian reports.
Brown said that Ministers of Parliament with the Labour Party would be allowed a free vote on the three most controversial aspects of the bill: the provision allowing the creation of hybrid embryos where human DNA is inserted into an animal cell; the “savior sibling” provision which allows embryos to be tested for donor compatibility with a child suffering a serious medical condition; and a provision concerning IVF research.
MPs from the Tory and the Liberal Democrat parties have already been offered a free vote on the bill.
The transport secretary Ruth Kelly and the Welsh secretary Paul Murphy were said to be among those Labour Party members who could have resigned rather than support the bill.