Clause 1
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mark Simmonds (Shadow Minister, Health; Boston and Skegness, Conservative)
Clause 1 concerns the meaning of “embryo” and “gamete”. I have tabled the amendments—I acknowledge that they are probing amendments—as an attempt to extract from the Government the logic behind the changes to the 1990 Act and to determine whether this is merely to do with scientific advancement, or whether there is something more fundamental behind the changes proposed. The amendments would bring the wording of the provisions back in line with that in the 1990 Act, which essentially says that there is not a true embryo unless the embryo has been fertilised. The amendments would make the definition clearer than what is proposed in the Bill.
Before I run through the differences between the amendments, I would ask the Minister about the fact that changes due to scientific advancement—for example, clone embryos and licensed hybrids, which are based on the court judgement that was made—are allowed under the wording of the 1990 Act. If those have been allowed under the wording of the 1990 Act, why is there a necessity to change that Act in the way proposed in the Bill?
Amendment No. 17 addresses the fact that there is no definition of fertilisation anywhere else in the Bill. It would be helpful to understand why that is the case.