"There have been no cures but our willingness to walk this road.
has paved the way for more and more demand," he said.
The Government is trying to push through laws which would allow testing.
on stem cells.
Lord Alton has tabled an amendment calling for the issue to be first.
looked at by a select committee. The order was backed by MPs despite protests.
last month.
Conservative Baroness Blatch, who plans to support Lord Alton's amendment.
from the backbench, said: "The way the Government is handling this is.
a constitutional outrage.
"The Government is abusing parliamentary procedure here. This is secondary.
legislation on a fundamental principle, which cuts across all parties.
and religions.
"Nobody is disagreeing how important it is, but it should go to a select.
committee first, who can look at the research and say which is the best.
way forward.
"The House of Lords is the only chamber in the land that can take on.
the Government and we will give it our best shot.".
Junior health minister Lord Hunt said he would be concerned if the Lords.
sought to delay introduction of the new research through the establishment.
of a new committee to investigate the issue.
"I have got no problems about a select committee, but I would have a.
problem if a select committee were set up at the same time as the order.
allowing this research to go through was rejected, because that would.
delay the time in which research could start to be processed," he said.
The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, said.
told the proposed research had profoundly disturbing implications.
"I'm quite sure Lord Hunt is very clear that it is not the intention.
of any Parliament to go on to human cloning, but I don't take his assurances.
totally," he added.
"There are other ways of achieving stem cells from other sources,.
from adults, which will achieve the same ends.
"Here we are dealing with something that touches human life at its very,.
very source.
