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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]

I do not want to go down that road, but I will say this as a link to the intervention of the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris): the issue with regard to cohabiting is the scale of break-up. We know from the reports that have been done—we have seen endless reports and we are just beginning to get through some of them—that 50 per cent. of cohabiting relationships are likely to break up. One in two will break up before the child is five. That is an enormously high figure—the highest level of divorce for married couples with a child is one in 12. There is a particular problem with cohabitation, which brings me neatly to the Bill, because there is no recognition in it of family ties: as long as the people involved are considered to be ““stable”” or in loving relationships, treatment should be available. That is how the Bill stands, which makes it even more important that we introduce the recognition of the need for a father because we are dealing with the strong likelihood that cohabiting couples want to undergo such treatment, and such a change would act as a strong reminder to them, much as it will do to lone parents.