Clause 24
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
3:45 pm
Evan Harris (Shadow Minister, Innovation, Universities and Skills; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I want to raise questions about some of the assertions made in respect of this matter. While I do not oppose the provision of information to people who are interested where that information is held, and it is quite clear in advance that the donor understands that information might be made available, one has to consider the privacy of parents and individuals who do not want their children—that relates to the point raised by the amendment—or people more generally to know that they were donor-conceived.
It is important to identify the key points. My understanding is that it is clearly of benefit to know whether there is a genetic issue in terms of health, that the Bill already provides for that, and that we are talking in these provisions about identifying information generally speaking. The amendment at least is about getting more information and identifying information. Obviously, it is important that people understand that they are not seeking to marry or enter a sexual relationship with someone who is related to them.
One has to be careful, however, before one asserts for sure that there is significant benefit from knowing one’s genetic background, because there may a disbenefit from discovering a family secret: for example, that there was infertility and donor insemination, that that had been kept secret from the person concerned, or that there may have been infidelity involved. It is not clear to me from looking at what little evidence there is in this area that it has been established that someone will always benefit from being able to know their genetic identity and to establish their genetic background; or, for that matter, that people have an absolute right, or even a very strong arguable right, to have that information.