Stepping up GM insect research a 'moral duty' for UK says Lords committee

Report concludes new technologies could save lives from dieseases such as malaria, but says developement is slowed by inadequate regulatory system

Britain has a "moral duty" to step up research into genetic modification as a way of controlling insect pests and disease carriers, according to a new report from the House of Lords.

Half the planet is at risk from infections such as dengue fever and malaria and countless lives could be saved by the introduction and spread of genetically modified (GM) insects that could no longer transmit such diseases, says the Lords science and technology committee after a four-month study of the technology, its possibilities and its challenges.