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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

My Lords, I listened very carefully to what the noble Lord, Lord Darzi, said. It was clear from the first part of his remarks that he understood exactly the purpose of the amendment. I refer that to the noble Lord, Lord Patel, but I think that the amendment’s purpose is pretty clear; namely, that the preference should lie with other than embryonic stem cell research if—I repeat this—it is evident that other forms of research would be equally efficacious for the purposes for which the research was originally demanded. It is also the case in the example given by the Minister of people with serious degenerative or other diseases who are waiting for a cure. I fully understand and sympathise with that view. The further argument is that, until now, those cures have largely come from adult stem cells, rather than from embryonic stem cells, and that we are trying to correct a bias in the system. The noble Lord, Lord Patel, pointed out that when one looks at the pattern of grants given by the HFEA since 1990, decisions in the earlier stages largely—indeed, almost entirely—favoured embryonic stem cell research over other research. It is now true that, largely on the basis of its results, adult stem cell research has become much more substantial and accounts for nearly half the financing made available. That is a considerable change in recent years and reflects the fact that the scientific community now recognises the potential of adult stem cell research. The main point of this amendment was the one referred to by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern. That is, if we are all agreed that the HFEA effectively works in a way that reflects what my amendment asks for—though I do not think it has built into it quite this element of special preference for non-embryonic forms of research—it is reasonable to say that that should be clearly in the Bill. The noble Baroness, Lady Knight, made the same point. It is a way of saying to the public that we take their concerns seriously, that the HFEA takes them seriously and that those concerns will be taken into account by a House of Lords that reflects, to some extent, public concerns. At the moment, as the noble Lord, Lord Alton, said, the public have very little awareness of the criteria that the HFEA employs. It works largely in private. It is not widely understood what concerns people have, and how far those concerns are reflected. Therefore I propose not to ask for the opinion of the House now, because I take very seriously the remarks of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern. I will go back and look at sub-paragraph (b). I will see whether it should be redrafted in the way that he suggests. But I will bring back this amendment at Third Reading, with whatever correction is needed to address the point made by the noble and learned Lord, because many of us believe that this would be a very useful addition to the Bill. I beg leave to withdraw this amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 10 not moved.]