The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Multiple Sclerosis is made up of MPs and Peers with a specific interest in issues around MS, and was established in 1997 to promote the interests of people affected by MS at the heart of government. As well as providing more information on the group, this page will keep you up to date with recent meetings and the issues raised. 

Last meeting of the APPG - 23 April 2008

The All Party Parliamentary Group for MS had an excellent meeting on the 23 April to discuss the importance of the research provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill currently going through Parliament. The research provisions of the HFE Bill have great potential importance for research into long term neurological conditions such as MS. The Bill makes provisions for the use of hybrid embryos in research under strict safety controls, and the MS Society believes it is essential to keep all possible avenues of research open.

At the meeting, both the scientific and the ethical sides of the debate were discussed. Dr Stephen Minger, a stem cells expert from King’s College, London gave a presentation explaining why the provisions were important for future research. Canon Robin Gill then outlined the ethical arguments in favour of the research provisions. Canon Gill is Michael Ramsey Professor of Theology at the University of Kent and a member of the Medical Research Council’s stem cell steering committee. The meeting was chaired by James Gray MP and was well attended by MPs and Peers.


Download an MS Society and Motor Neurone Disease Association briefing on the HFE Bill (186 kb)

Read the MS Society's policy position on stem cells (71 kb)