Minister attacks Church over hybrids bill

Briefing. Alan Johnson is making attacking the Catholic Church a habit. Remember his attack on Church schools over 'homophobic bullying'.

From CFNews: The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson has launched an attack on leaders of the Church for their interventions in the row about embryo research. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph he said the Church had 'misrepresented' the HFE Bill and had explained the science of human-animal embryos in terms which he believed were 'profoundly wrong' and 'hperbolic'.. He said last week's decision to allow MPs a free vote against the most controversial sections of the proposed Bill was not a victory for the Church, but said that if votes were lost, it would be a defeat for scientific research.

In the same newspaper, Christopher Booker reminded readers, that was has been missing from the coverage of this story is any sense of how the Government has been hamstrung by surrendering its powers to the EU. 'Gordon Brown's Government has to risk so much political capital on the Bill . . . because it is bound by obligations under the 'Lisbon Process', which aims to make 'the European bio-technology sector's world leader, regulated by Brusssels'.

Meanwhile, its has been announced that Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of Scotland's Catholic Church, who attacked the Government's controversial embryology laws has agreed to meet scientists involved in stem cell research. The Cardinal, who sparked a storm when he described plans to create human-animal embryos for research as 'monstrous', said he would be 'only too happy' to attend such a meeting. He also called for religious heads from other faiths to be involved, and urged the setting up of an body to advise the Government on complex ethical issues. Scientists and politicians welcomed the Cardinal's offer to discuss the issue, and Labour MP for Livingston Jim Devine suggested meeting on April 22. [Sunday Telegraph, Scotland on Sunday] 1435.13