Free Votes On The Human Fertilisation And Embryology Bill

EDM number 1953 in 2007-08, proposed by David Taylor on 03/07/2008.
Categorised under the topics of Medical ethics, Parliament and Genetics.

That this House notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill permits the creation of human-animal hybrids, so-called saviour siblings (children who could be created specifically for their tissues and part-organs) and removes the requirement on IVF clinics to have regard for a child's need for a father; notes that these issues were subject to a free vote at Committee stage; notes however that the Bill, as amended in the Public Bill Committee, will not be subject to a free vote for Labour hon. Members at Report stage and Third Reading; further notes that the Bill currently provides for a loophole in the law via secondary regulation that could allow reproductive cloning, germline genetic engineering of nuclear DNA and the creation of genetically-modified babies, through alterations to their mitochondrial DNA, continues the practice of the state colluding in a deception with respect to the birth certificates of donor-conceived children and allows cells to be used to make human-animal hybrid embryos without a person's explicit consent in some cases; believes that these controversial issues, which were not manifesto commitments, should be subject to a free vote; and calls on the Government to respect the consciences of individual hon. Members and allow a free vote at Report stage and Third Reading.

This motion has been signed by a total of 22 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.