Despite determined efforts on the part of several Peers to improve the provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, all votes were lost on its last day in Parliament October 30th 2008.
Lord Alton attempted to reintroduce the presumption against using animal-human hybrid embryos for research where other methods are available. He was supported by several Peers, such as Lord Tombs, who reminded Peers that embryonic stem cell research is ‘unproven, unnecessary and unethical.’ However, several Peers with interests in stem cell research argued to the contrary and the House of Lords bought the propaganda that all kinds of research should be allowed to proceed in case they produced cures, irrespective of their likely success or ethical status. The vote on Lord Alton’s Hunt test amendment was lost by 39 to 202.
Earl Howe proposed an amendment to clarify exactly which embryos would be covered by the final catch-all category of ‘human admixed embryos’, that is, human-animal hybrids but the amendment was withdrawn..
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, put forward an amendment concerning IVF treatment of same-sex female couples in cases where the second woman is to be regarded as the parent. The amendment was designed to prevent the relevant sections of the Bill on two female parents for a child from coming into force until an 18-month consultation with children and young people had been completed and draft regulations had been approved by both Houses of Parliament. The debate stressed the importance of fatherhood and the rights of children to have a father, as well as children’s rights to be consulted about such changes in the law. The debate went very well, but the vote was nonetheless lost by 51 to 121 votes.
Baroness Knight’s proposed an amendment that would have removed several new sections to the Bill that the Government inserted during the House of Common’s Public Bill Committee Stage (made up of 17 MPs, 14 of which were in attendance and voted to change the law). These new amendments were not debated at Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons due to lack of time. The new sections concerned allow the use of people’s cells without their consent in the creation of embryos and human-animal hybrids for research. The groups of people to whom this may now happen, are children whose parents consent for them, the mentally ill (if their carer or another nominated individual consent for them) and people who have already donated cells for research before animal-human hybrids were ever thought of. Unfortunately, the vote was lost 34 to 105, probably because the Government’s Peers were told to vote against the amendment.
This battle is now over, as the Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent in the near future, but the war on the wanton destruction of human life at the altar of science continues.