Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill passed

Published: 11/12

The Government has published the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Current regulation of assisted reproduction and embryo research will be updated by the Bill, but the foundations of existing law will not be altered.

The key elements of the Bill are:

• Regulating the use of embryos outside the body.
  
• Banning the selection of the sex of offspring for non-medical reasons.   
• Removing the need for a father when pursuing fertility treatment, introducing a duty to take account of “the welfare of a child”.
• Recognising same-sex couples as legal parents of children conceived through the use of donated sperm etc.
• Easing restrictions on using HFEA-collected data.
• Increasing the scope of embryo research, including regulation of “inter-species embryos”.

BMA leaders emphasised that doctors were keen to develop the proposed legislation, and were “delighted” with the government’s decision not to merge the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority.

The Bill is expected to be in force by 2009.