The House of Lords looks likely to defeat a government plan to allow the cloning of human cells for medical research. Over 40 peers have registered to speak in today's debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2000, which were approved by MPs last month. Some peers have accused the government of pushing through the changes using "undemocratic" tactics on what amounts to a major "moral" issue.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, backed by other religious leaders, has written to all peers urging them to consider the "huge philosophical and ethical implications of these developments" and a letter published in the Telegraph from Cambridge medical students warns of the "potentially devastating" consequences of cloning.

The Telegraph carries a report on the views of seven philosophers on whether ANDi, the world's first "cloned" monkey, is a "miracle or a monster".