Examination of Witnesses (Questions 196
- 199)
WEDNESDAY 23 JUNE 2004
DR NEVILLE
COBBE, DR
RICHARD FLEMING
AND DR
VERONICA VAN
HEYNINGEN
Chairman: You are very welcome to help
us in our inquiry. We are glad to have you here, thank you for
coming along. I think you will have seen the format of the questioning
we will start off with Bob Spink.
Q196 Bob Spink: Do scientists always
behave in an ethical manner or can we not trust them to always
behave in an ethical manner and should we therefore regulate them?
Dr van Heyningen: I think most
scientists try to behave in an ethical manner but like most people
they do not necessarily always think fully about the implications
of some of the things that they do, some of the experiments that
they do.
Dr Cobbe: I think I would agree
broadly with that. Scientists are human beings like anybody else
so to say do scientists behave ethically is a bit like saying
does a postman behave ethically or any other profession. I do
not think you can generalise across the board. Certainly my experience
having been in science for a while now, although still very young
in my scientific profession nonetheless I have noticed scientists
behaving badly in terms of the peer review process so I would
not say scientists are always completely good and objective in
their search for the truth.
Q197 Chairman: So they are not ethical
after all?
Dr Cobbe: They are ethical but
not always.
Q198 Bob Spink: Richard, do you think
scientists need to be regulated?
Dr Fleming: The original question
was about the ethics of it. I think ethical boundaries have a
habit of moving and there is constant progress which is absolutely
right. I think scientists can operate and do operate within the
current structure totally ethically. Mistakes may be made but
I am certainly not aware of any of my colleagues working in infertility
units and in research operating unethically in this country.
Q199 Bob Spink: So you are making
a statement to this Committee that never ever has any scientist
in this field of endeavour acted in any way unethically?
Dr Fleming: I am not aware of
it.
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