Clause 12
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
5:45 pm
Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour)
Can I reassure the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon that he should not be provoked by the use of the term
“non-medical fertility services”?
He asked me what they might be: essentially, the measure is about internet sperm delivery services—he may have mentioned those. They have to be described as “non-medical” in case any attempt is made to deliver services other than via the internet, which currently happens, apparently.—[Interruption.] Perhaps I should have used a different phrase.
Moving on, I should explain why the amendments are necessary, which will answer the point made by the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness. The quality and safety standards that are set out in the EU directive are aimed at preventing the transmission of disease from donor to recipient of tissues or cells. Two separate points were made and I do not want to lose the distinction. The EU directive requires that provision is based on the safety and quality of services, and that consent is obtained. That is the set of issues to which the amendments relate.
The second set of issues relate to therapeutic services. The Government believe that the measure applies to research only. Our view is that, under a research licence, an embryo can be used to derive stem cells for human application as long as it can be shown to be part of a project of research. The amendments would introduce a requirement to comply with the directive that is aimed specifically at the limited area of quality and safety, as I described. Two separate issues were conflated by my use of the word “therapeutic” in my earlier remarks. However, the issues are not connected. The amendments relate specifically to the directive arrangements.