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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

The most important group of patients has probably not been mentioned, so perhaps I might mention it. The noble Lord, Lord Patel, mentioned the importance of this for male infertility, and the noble Baroness, Lady Tonge, mentioned female infertility in certain cases. However, we live in a changing society in which more and more women are taking education, gaining skills and leaving child-bearing rather late. There is now a huge section of women in their late 30s and early 40s—these are not old patients or people who would be regarded in any way as undesirable mothers, no matter what kind of spin one places on that—whose ovaries have run out of eggs. The prospect of making an artificial egg in due course from a stem cell would help a vast number of women and would be a great cause of happiness in our society. Therefore anything that we can do to alleviate the situation and promote that research is to be welcomed. I really value the speech made by the noble Lord, Lord Alton, who has shown his humanity this afternoon. I think that many people will have found his interjection on this point extremely welcome.