Clause 1
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mark Simmonds (Shadow Minister, Health; Boston and Skegness, Conservative)
As indeed was the hon. Gentleman. That was why I said that these were probing amendments. I am attempting to draw from the Government exactly why these changes to the 1990 Act have been put in the Bill. I do not think that there is a definition of fertilisation elsewhere in the Bill, so it would be helpful if the Minister would establish why that was the case.
With amendment No. 18, we want to understand about the
“cells of the female germ lines at any stage of maturity”.
There is no definition of “eggs”, which include the cells of the female germ line. Amendment No. 19 relates to “sperm”, which includes
“cells of the male germ line at any stage of maturity”,
and, again, there is no definition of that in this part of the Bill.