How did this bill come about?
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990) gave statutory force to the recommendations of the Warnock Report and set up the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to oversee the operation of the Act. The HFE Act allowed in vitro fertilization along with embryo freezing, research and destruction. Since the Act came into force in 1991 science has moved on and it was felt necessary to introduce a new HFE Bill to make allowances for new developments such as 'therapeutic' cloning, stem cell research, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, animal human hybrids, saviour siblings and other forms of artificial reproduction.
A long public consultation process resulted in the drafting of the new HFE Bill which Parlaiment is now considering.
What sort of Bill is it?
The HFE Bill is a government bill which means that the government is determined to see it passed and enacted. The Bill has started in the House of Lords but needs to pass through the House of Commons also.
What has happened so far?
Presently the Bill has passed through its first and second readings in the House of Lords and is just completing its Report Stage, where amendments are being voted upon. A powerful lobby of medically qualified peers and science institutions such as the Royal Society and Medical Research Council, together with the government whip requiring Peers to support every aspect of the Bill, has meant that all attempts to the amend the bill have so far been defeated. Amendments lost so far on 15, 21 and 28 January include:
- A ban on the creation of animal-human hybrids - lost by 96 to 268
- A ban on the use of saviour siblings - lost by 62 to 180
- An amendment calling for the 'need for a father' for IVF children - lost by 93 to 164
- Restricting saviour siblings to life-threatening disease - lost by 121 to 162
- A ban on abortion between 24 and 40 weeks gestation – lost by 22 to 89
What happens next?
The bill will receive its third reading on 4 February and will enter the House of Commons probably in late February or early March.
The bill will have three main stages in the Commons and then pass any amendments back to the Lords in March/April for its agreement. When agreement is reached between the two Houses, and after royal assent, the bill will then become law.
You can follow the progress of the Bill on the Parliament website.
