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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 4: 4: Clause 3, page 3, line 29, at end insert— ““(5A) Regulations may provide that— (a) an egg can be a permitted egg, or (b) a sperm can be a permitted sperm, even though the egg or sperm has been developed from one or more human cells in a prescribed process designed to treat infertility. (5B) Any regulations under subsection (5A) must provide that any sperm be developed from one or more cells of a genetic male and any egg be derived from one or more cells of a genetic female.”” The noble Lord said: This amendment relates to a regulation-making power by affirmative regulation to allow Parliament to approve the potential use of stem-cell-derived gametes in treatment. I tabled this amendment in a different form in Committee, and I have now removed the concerns expressed at that time. I have specified that we are talking about using stem-cell-derived gametes—eggs from a woman and sperm from a man—to treat infertility problems and nothing beyond that. Thousands of patients suffer from the inability of their gonads to make gametes—either sperm or eggs. New technology offers the promise for such patients that their infertility can be treated by the generation of new gametes from stem cells. That is adult stem cell technology. For those who are concerned about using embryonic stem cell technology, this is especially favourable to adult stem cell technology. It is adult stem cell technology that has made progress in animal models and in laboratory studies of human cells in generating gamete precursor cells from bone marrow cells. Several leading groups in the UK currently carry out such research. One is led by Professor Nayernia of Newcastle, who has derived sperm from mouse embryonic stem cells and used it to fertilise mouse eggs, and who has previously derived early-stage sperm cells from human bone marrow. The research in this field seems very promising. There is also the prospect of generating new gametes from embryonic stem cells derived from an embryo created from the patient by therapeutic cloning using SCNT, but most progress has been made using adult stem cells. The Bill effectively places a ban that will require a whole new Bill to overturn on ever using such gametes to treat patients. That is despite the Bill permitting the use of gametes that have been grown and matured from gamete stem cells derived from the testes and ovaries, and despite the Bill continuing the regulation-making power to allow the use of embryos created from eggs that have been manipulated by nuclear transfer to treat mitochondrial disease. Amendment No. 4 proposes a regulation-making power through the affirmative resolution process to permit the HFEA to consider applications to apply this new technology to treat infertility, if the authority is satisfied that it is safe enough, if there is sufficient evidence of effectiveness, subject to the usual provision of carefully designed, ethically approved clinical trials being carried out, and following any public consultation that it may feel necessary. It is also open to the Government to carry out consultation prior to promulgating a solution. I could produce more evidence. It is interesting to cite Josephine Quintavalle of CORE—Comment on Reproductive Ethics—who said: "““How ironic that one of the few reproductive novelties the Government wants to ban is the very one that CORE could make a case for””." So even CORE would support it. I hope that I have said enough to rest my case that this is about treating infertility. It is not about using embryonic stem cell science but about treating infertile patients, especially men who cannot produce sperm because of chemotherapy, cancer, infection, or any other damage—mostly, it affects men rather than women. I beg to move.