Harris responds as Government indicates possible changes to rules in forthcoming infertility law review

12.54.11pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 12th Jul 2006

Following the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee evidence session on Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law today in which the Minister of State for Public Health, Caroline Flint MP, discussed the Government's view that the need for a father provision may be dropped in regulations requiring clinics to assess the welfare of a future child before offering infertility treatment. Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat member of the committee, who has led the calls to drop the need for the father provisions, said:

"I'm pleased that after 16 years of licensed discrimination against solo mothers and lesbian couples there are signs that it will come to an end. On the welfare of the potential child, I hope that the Government's new formulation will restrict the test to foreseeable serious medical harm based on evidence and not simply on prejudice."

And in response to the Government's indication that there should be stricter regulation of technologies enabling sex selection, restricting its use to screening out serious gender-related genetic conditions but not for non-medical reasons, Dr Harris said:

"Other than the public's "yuk" reaction, the Government gives no reason why parents of three boys shouldn't use pre-implantation sex selection to balance their family. Allowing such a move in no way suggests that one gender is better than another and so has no bearing on the negative attitudes to girls in some other countries."

"The state should be giving good reasons before restricting the reproductive choice of adult citizens."

Dr Evan Harris MP is a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology whose fifth report of session 2004-2005 considered 'Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law'. Available here: http://pubs1.tso.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmsctech/7/702.htm