The Australian Senate has passed an amended version of a bill that will allow research to take place on stem cells derived from unused embryos left over from IVF (in vitro fertilisation) programmes and donated for research purposes.

Human reproductive cloning was banned in Australia in June 2001. A long consultation process was entered into before a national approach to embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research was decided and, following initial debates, therapeutic cloningtherapeutic cloning was banned last month. After a two-year enquiry, it seemed at first that the government would also propose that ES cell research in Australia be limited to existing stem cell lines. But some state leaders said they would allow ES cell research to take place in their states despite a federal ban. Following additional pressure from the scientific community, in April Prime Minister John Howard approved research on stem cells derived from embryos left over from fertility treatments.

Howard introduced the original bill in June. It provided that all ES cell research in Australia over the next three years has to be conducted on existing frozen embryos, of which there are said to be approximately 60,000 in Australia. After 5 April 2005, scientists will be allowed to create new stem cell lines from surplus IVF embryos if consent to use them is obtained, but regulations will be drafted to prevent the creation of embryos for research purposes.

The original bill was passed by the Australian House of Representatives in September and the Senate vote was meant to take place on Monday evening last week. But by the time the vote was meant to take place, debates on a number of amendments had not taken place. The vote was delayed until Wednesday and was finally passed by 45-26 votes. The Bill will now return to the House of Representatives for further consideration of the amendments.