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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

I support the wise words of the noble Baroness, Lady Deech. The noble Lords, Lord Alton and Lord Patten, made many allegations about the HFEA in detail and it would take a long time to answer them. I am not going to do that, but I should like to focus on one or two points of principle that run throughout the amendments. First, I am not sure that everyone is aware of the importance of reproductive technology now to the women of this country. Women are getting married later and having children later, and a higher and higher percentage of women in the population need help in producing babies. Because of the advances of medical technology and the skill of clinicians they can now have the children whom they so desperately want. It is true that certain people are opposed to reproductive technology in principle, but we need to bear in mind that what we are talking about is what so many women in this country want: help in having children. Secondly, as regards the make-up of the HFEA, I find it very strange that each of its members should be named as though they had an intrinsic conflict of interest. They do not. The noble Lord, Lord Alton, talked about somebody being neutral. Nobody in this life is totally neutral. If I may say so, the noble Lord, Lord Alton, himself is hardly neutral. I would not want him to be. Who is this neutral person who suddenly appears who has no views on anything and expresses no passion on anything? Of course, the members of the HFEA have views. I agree that it would be very difficult for a person who was totally opposed to the use of assisted reproductive technology in helping women to have babies to be a member of the HFEA. If you are totally opposed to that in principle, it would be very difficult because your job—as the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, said—is to administer the law as Parliament has decided it. That is your job.