UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Conservative rival David Cameron support embryonic stem cell research, provided it's correctly regulated, they revealed during the second TV leaders' debate on Thursday. The party leaders made the remarks while answering a question about the Pope's forthcoming official state visit to the UK.

'On human embryology, I have disagreed with the Catholic church', Gordon Brown said. 'I believe, if you can treat a disease by using embryos that are enabling us to make sure that people can be free of some of the conditions that afflict their lives, we should do so under the right rules'.

'I am sorry that, in principle, there is a disagreement with the church on that'.

'I would be agreeing with you and against the Pope in terms of, for instance, the need to make advances in science', David Cameron told Michael Jeans, who asked the leaders if they backed the Pope's visit.

'I don't think we should … obviously we need proper protections and proper rules and we debated them at great length in the House of Commons, but I do want to see that go ahead'.

Pope Benedict XVI opposes embryonic stem cell research because it involves the destruction of human embryos. He is due to visit the UK in September.