(Except clauses 4, 11, 14 and 23, schedule 2, and any new clauses or new schedules relating to the termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners)
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour)
I beg to move,
That—
(1) the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 3rd June) meet—
(a) at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 3rd June;
(b) at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 5th June;
(c) at 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 10th June;
(d) at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 12th June;
(e) at 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 17th June;
(2) the proceedings shall be taken in the following order: Clauses 1 to 3; Clause 5; Schedule 1; Clauses 6 to 10; Clauses 12 and 13; Schedules 3 and 4; Clauses 15 to 22; Clauses 24 to 28; Schedule 5; Clauses 29 to 56; Schedule 6; Clauses 57 to 65; Schedule 7; Clause 66; Schedule 8; Clauses 67 to 69; new Clauses (not relating to the termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners); new Schedules (not relating to the termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners); remaining proceedings on the Bill.
(3) the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday 17th June.
I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Gale, as I will welcome Mr. Hood when he joins us for this important Committee. The Bill has received its Second Reading and certain clauses have been debated on the Floor of the House. It has been subjected to consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny, and it has attracted great attention from the Science and Technology Committee. We are fortunate that members of the Committee have extensive knowledge and expertise in respect of the Bill. I welcome, in particular, the presence of the hon. Members for Salisbury and for Oxford, West and Abingdon, and my hon. Friends the Members for Bolton, South-East, for Brighton, Kemptown and for Norwich, North, who served on the Science and Technology Committee. Indeed, the hon. Member for Salisbury and my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North also served on the pre-legislative scrutiny Committee. Their wisdom and expertise will benefit our consideration of the Bill.
I am also joined by my hon. Friends the Members for Warrington, North, for Calder Valley, for Crawley, for Cardiff, North and my right hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill. They are all experienced parliamentarians with a great interest in such matters and various views on the subjects that we shall be discussing. I welcome the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness, who has so far led his team in adopting a considered, thoughtful and diligent approach to this important Bill. I am grateful for the way in which he and his colleagues will bring great expertise to our proceedings and will continue to debate matters that we know are of importance.
I hope that the Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green, and the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will not have much work to do and that we shall proceed in an orderly, timely fashion. I am sure that you intend to make sure that we do so, Mr. Gale.
When my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North was referring to his considerable knowledge of science during the debates on the Floor of the House, he said that he knew “science backwards”. That caused considerable discussion among journalists who asked whether there was any other way to consider science. The Bill regulates important areas of research science that are of crucial importance to our communities.
I assure the Committee that we do not intend to start at the back and work forward. We shall start at clause 1 and work logically through the Bill. Our proceedings will be challenging and I am confident that the excellent debates that took place on the Floor of House will continue in Committee and that, at the end of our deliberations, we will have a Bill that is worthy of the House. I commend the motion to the Committee.