Clause 52
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
9:15 am
Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour)
It is my understanding that that would not be a compelling reason, but perhaps I may enter a caveat. If we are back to scenarios that might arise, there might be a complication of reasons, such as a combination of extreme distress that one’s partner had died, a difficult birth and, as a consequence, mental or physical health matters impinging on the mother’s ability to start her life again and register her child. However, one must be absolutely precise. Whether to put the father on the birth certificate might be part of that situation, but the case that the hon. Gentleman mentioned, of thinking, “I am not quite sure; I need a few more days to think about it,” would not be enough. That would not be acceptable. To my knowledge, that is not how it has operated until now and there is no reason to believe that it should change.