Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL]

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to listen to and to follow the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass. On this issue I can say to him, ““No surrender””. I agree with everything he has brought to your Lordships’ attention. I will not repeat the views I have expressed earlier in Committee and on Report, although it is a sad reflection on the state of participatory democracy that, as the right reverend Prelate said in his splendid introductory remarks, another place did not find the time to discuss something of rather fundamental importance. History will look back sadly and judge this. That said, I have two points to make. First, I recall not points that I made earlier but the whole drift of debate here in Committee and on Report from those who supported this approach. They have been highly utilitarian about supporting the needs, desires and wants of parents who choose not to include a father; they should have those desires satisfied now. No consideration at all has been given to possible adverse effects on children years or decades down the line. Those arguments were rather brushed aside as not being worthy of consideration in the times we live in now. I think that is sad. I am sure that if this particular provision passes into law, sociologists and others will quite quickly be starting generational studies to see what happens to children brought up in this way and how they turn out in 10, 12 or 15 years. I cannot predict the results of that but there are serious issues of concern in proceeding in this way. Secondly, I genuinely support the Government’s approach over the past 10 years to wider consultation. It has been good. It is sometimes hard to understand or interpret the results, but that is not the Government’s fault. The Government have been exceptionally good at consulting. There is a lesson there for future Governments. Yet I find it extraordinary that this Government, who are so keen on consultation, should choose not to consult children about this key issue. These are their rights. The children we would consult may not be born under these circumstances but when I have consulted those who are called children—albeit statistically a small group—they cannot believe that this sort of thing is happening without their opinion being sought. It is extraordinary that the Government do not pause and think again on this issue. As the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, said, we should send this back to another place so that they can look properly at it. They can at least demonstrate that they have given some consideration to something which in future years will be seen to be extraordinarily dismissive of the rights of children in a way that flies in the face of so much else that this Government have done concerning the rights of children.