Clause 19
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Mark Simmonds (Shadow Minister, Health; Boston and Skegness, Conservative)
Again, I thank the Minister for her response. Amendment No. 144 is really a probing amendment on which she has clearly satisfied me. I hear what the she says about amendment No. 145, but I urge her and the relevant officials in the Department to monitor the situation carefully, because there is concern among those applying for licences.
I am intrigued that the Minister says that there has been no delay in applications in the past 12 months—that is not what people have been telling me. What was the point of Tuesday’s debate on delegated powers to speed up the process, if it does not need speeding up? From what she has said today, the process seems to be working well. I suspect, however, that because of the additional potential licence areas with which the HFEA will have to cope when the Bill is enacted, it will receive more licence applications than it has to date. The situation therefore needs to be monitored carefully.