The cells have to be gotten from private laboratories. The government will only finance studies of cells from embryos that were created for in vitro fertilization, frozen, and donated by couples who no longer need them for childbirth. Researchers cannot pay individuals for embryos and donors cannot direct the embryos be donated to a specific person. Both proponents and opponents of the research know that this is only a short-term political solution for this concern. If the research is successful and shows that stem cells can be transplanted to cure disease, the demand will quickly outpace the existing supply of frozen embryos created by couples during the course of fertility treatments.
Scientists currently have the ability to create human embryos in their labs.
Your tax dollars cannot support this research, so most of it takes place in private laboratories, out of public review. Great Britan's chief health officer recommended in August that scientists be allowed to clone human embryos to obtain stem cells. So did the Italian health minister. Both see the need for readily available cells and are attempting to position their national biotech companies to control the market. Actually, cloning embryos for their cells may be the lesser ethical issue.