Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]
9:38 pm
Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench)
My Lords, I should like strongly to support, as I did at earlier stages, the principles underlining the amendment so ably moved by the noble Baroness. We do not have anything to fear from extensive reporting. It enables us to look at the empirical evidence and, especially, as the noble Baroness has said, at issues such as multiple pregnancies and the subsequent risks of disability, which, topically, follow on the back of the previous debate in the House.
The issue of prematurity, which often comes up in these circumstances, needs to be assessed. I agree with what the noble Baroness has said. If IVF is to continue to take place under existing arrangements in this country, it is better that it is properly regulated rather be than outside in private clinics where there have been a number of abuses and where profit, rather than good medicine and good science, has been the motive. For all of the reasons that the noble Baroness has properly put to the House, I hope that this will be given a fair wind by the Government.