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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

My Lords, I spoke to the amendment when it was proposed on Report, and I remain of the view that I expressed then that it would be a useful addition to the Bill. As we were told on the last occasion, this is how the HFEA goes about the matter at present—the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, told us that. It is therefore perfectly reasonable that the tests that are currently used should continue to be used. The noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, talked about proposed new paragraph (b) in the amendment, and the noble Lord, Lord Turnberg, with his great scientific background, has expressed the same concern. Proposed new paragraph (b)(i) says in effect that the present state of published, peer-reviewed scientific data suggests that the research is likely to achieve its purpose. That does not necessarily mean that it will achieve what one would like it to achieve, but it may well clarify a situation, which may be its purpose. Research sometimes fails, as we know, but the idea is that it must have promise. My impression is that when the Joint Committee considered the matter, we were given the guidelines that the Medical Research Council uses to support research. After all, research money is not all that easily obtained, and the council must ensure that the money that it is putting into research is well used. The idea is that the likely outcome of the research is advancement of the knowledge of how an embryo works or a disease may develop. The essence of the matter is the way in which the embryo has been treated hitherto in the legislation. In 1990, Parliament introduced a control on human embryo research and the treatments that use human embryos. It made it absolutely clear that after the primitive streak develops at 14 days, the embryo should not be used for research at all. I should have thought that there is a good deal to be said for specifying that that is the point at which there is a potential for human life. Until that point the embryo has a potential, right enough, but not necessarily a potential to develop into a human being. In the period before the primitive streak develops, Parliament thought that it was important to recognise that the embryo has special qualities which require special treatment. One of those treatments, of course, is that research using embryos should, first, be licensed by the HFEA. Secondly, as has been pointed out, the research must necessarily involve the human embryo; and, thirdly, the whole procedure should be as laid down by Parliament. In looking at this matter again, it is perfectly reasonable that the same general framework should apply. I certainly do not take proposed new paragraph (b)(i) as meaning that you cannot do new research. That is not at all the meaning of the phrase. It means that the evidence accumulated so far suggests that it is likely to be useful research. It may not produce the answer the researcher wants, and indeed it may result in an answer the researcher does not want, but that is equally important in the development of the subject matter. So I support the amendment because it is useful from the point of view of recognising the public concern, which undoubtedly there is, surrounding embryonic research. It shows that Parliament regards that as a very important and special area of research which requires careful and thorough safeguards.