The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) is an umbrella body for some of the most powerful medical research charities' campaigns in support of destructive experimentation on human embryos and screening to eliminate the risk of hereditary diseases.

One of many examples of AMRC's support for unethical medical research is the support it gave to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. In a briefing for parliamentarians it said:

• "We welcome the provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that relate to research. We particularly support provisions that allow the creation of human and mixed embryos"
• "Stem cells from three different sources are currently used in research: adult (including reprogrammed cells), fetal and embryonic stem cells ... closing off any one avenue of research would be detrimental to the potential development of therapies."
• "The creation of human admixed embryos (HAEs) is necessary to overcome the limited availability of donated human eggs - one of the major barriers to embryonic stem cell research
• "If research involving HAEs is prohibited, UK scientists will no longer be able to work at the cutting edge of stem cell research"

In 2012, the group joined a coalition of medical research bodies issuing a statement to the EU Parliament asking for their continued funding of embryonic stem cell research.

SPUC comment

Human embryos are human beings from the moment of their conception (fertilisation or an analogous form of creation such as cloning). Removing stem cells from them abuses and usually kills them. The creation of hybrid embryos is also unethical.

Please send any information you may have about this charity to SPUC, either by email to rhoslynthomas@spuc.org.uk or by post to SPUC HQ.