'Designer babies' bill through after eight years (New Zealand)

Labour MP Dianne Yates says she would still like tighter regulations controlling aspects of fertility treatments and the creation of designer babies but is pleased there are now guidelines in place.

"It's taken eight years to get the bill through and I'm really pleased that we do have a legislative framework in place," Ms Yates told NZPA today.

Her Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill was strongly supported 102-18 on a third reading conscience vote last night.

Ms Yates drafted the bill in 1996 and it was amended many times by a select committee which was often overtaken by technological advances.

The bill passes most of the responsibility for fertility treatments to an ethics committee under guidelines in the legislation. No new treatments will be practised unless they are covered by the guidelines.

The bill bans some type of procedures outright, including the cloning of embryos, genetic modification and the use of cells from foetuses for reproductive purposes.

Ms Yates said her main aim had been to ban cloning humans, and other issues had been included as the bill progressed through...