Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]

I had not intended to intervene in the debate, but the comments made by the Minister and the right hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth) cannot go unchallenged. I fully accept that the Committee has to consider some complex ethical issues. One of the underlying ethical issues, which the Minister touched on, is the extent to which one approves or disapproves of interfering in the process of procreation. That is one of the fundamental dividing lines between Members of the House; it has been illustrated in earlier Divisions and will doubtless crop up again. On Second Reading, I took the view that I should not oppose the Bill, because whatever my ethical viewpoint on that fundamental matter, it could be argued that the pass was sold in that regard rather a long time ago—certainly some time before the Government took office. However, the problem that the Minister seemed quite unwilling to address this evening was that once the pass has been sold, and the House and the Government have taken over the task of making those ethical judgments, they cannot be ducked. The right hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East said that the provision was not about designer children—an argument echoed by the Minister. I have to say that their argument has an intellectual incoherence that is truly breathtaking. It cannot be argued that the provision is not about designer children, because the intention behind it is to design children who will fulfil the particular purpose of being able to help their siblings. If the House is really to be soft-soaped into believing that is not the case, it really is to the discredit of the Government in their inability to engage in coherent argument. There might be powerful reasons for the Minister to say that the provision represents an aspect of designing children that the Government conclude is justified. That argument would be intellectually valid, but it is to belittle any notion of common sense to argue to the contrary.