Human Fertilisation and Embryology

I will come to that point in my remarks.

There has been much parliamentary scrutiny of the ...

The Minister is extremely generous with her time. She says that these scientists are leading the ...

I am aware of that work, which has been the subject of extensive parliamentary questions. The exp...

Does the Minister acknowledge that scientists broadly accept that the procedures are nuclear cell...

No, I cannot accept that description. I recognise that my hon. Friend has objections to the proce...

Does the Minister accept that a person born as a result of a mitochondrial replacement would not ...

We have made it clear that the removal of the faulty mitochondria will be passed on to the next g...

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I know my hon. Friend is going to make her own contribution. If she will forgive me, I want to ou...

Does the Minister consider that the Government’s own regulator, the HFEA, was wrong to state, in ...

I shall deal shortly with the regulatory regime that the HFEA would introduce. However, that and ...

It is clear to many of us who have spoken to our constituents that this procedure will make a hug...

I think that those Members may speak for themselves during the debate. No one would deny that thi...

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I want to make a little progress, but I may take another intervention later. I am conscious that ...

Is my hon. Friend aware that there are profound legal reasons for believing that the regulations ...

The clinical trials directive applies only to medicines. It does not apply to embryology, so it i...

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I am sorry. I know that many Members wish to intervene, but I am trying to leave time for Back-Be...

The impassioned and thoughtful contributions to the public debate that we have heard in recent we...

I think we need to dispel the myth that there will be a “first time”. This was done more than a d...

I shall be dealing with the expert panel reviews that have been conducted since the date to which...

May I ask the shadow Minister a simple question? Is this a case of DNA being genetically modified...

I do not believe that that is what is being proposed, but I shall deal with my hon. Friend’s very...

I know from a meeting that I attended before the debate that the HFEA has said, “PNT involves gen...

That point was raised in an earlier intervention. I think it is clear from reports following revi...

There seems to be a lot of confusion between nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA. It might help the...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that clarification.

Many concerns have been raised, the firs...

The hon. Lady and I both attended the meeting last night, which was very productive and helpful. ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. It was clear last night when we heard from the ...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am going to finish my point, if I may.

In the intervening years the science and ethics of...

The hon. Lady is making a very good speech and is trying to make it balanced. She talked about la...

Unfortunately, it is not in the Opposition’s gift to determine the time allocated for these debat...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am going to make some progress, because I am conscious—referring back to the intervention of th...

On the question of safety, does the hon. Lady not consider it significant that the Food and Drug ...

I understand that the FDA has written to the British press in the course of the last week to cont...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the fact is that any scientist would say that no technique is enti...

My hon. Friend makes some very important points, particularly about the assessment of risk, which...

I am most grateful to the hon. Lady for setting out a balanced case. Can she clear something up f...

I hope the Minister might be able to address that in her response to the debate, with the support...

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Order. On account of the number of Members wishing to contribute to this debate, I must impose wi...

I want to speak against the Government motion, and I draw the House’s attention to my alternative...

I question my hon. Friend’s definition of “embryo”. We are talking about two ova being used to cr...

Let me put it this way. Some may take the view that at such an early stage of human life, it is a...

I am completely undecided on this issue. Can my hon. Friend tell me whether it is the case that a...

What we are talking about is a particular process, which we know—with certainty—will destroy embr...

Does the hon. Lady find it strange that while the shadow Minister was telling the House that we s...

I was indeed surprised, but in a sense that is why those who have made the case for much more par...

There is a lot of muttering around the Chamber that there will be clinical trials, but there cann...

That is exactly the point I was about to make. As has been highlighted in a letter from 44 MEPs w...

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The answer has to be that we—

Order. I think Members thought that the hon. Lady had concluded her speech, but she has not. Let ...

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Once we approve this procedure, where will it lead? The answer has t...

The hon. Member for Congleton (Fiona Bruce) set out her case clearly and I respect her beliefs, b...

I am listening carefully to the hon. Gentleman. Everyone in this House wants the best for these f...

The hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point, but there are plenty of occasions when such tests ...

Some critics of this approach have pointed out that this country would be the first to go ahead w...

The ethical basis on which science is conducted in this country is world leading. The hon. Gentle...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

No, as it would not be fair on other people. In case colleagues have not seen them, let me commen...

I approach this subject with a considerable degree of humility, for two reasons. First, I will ne...

The hon. Gentleman is making a typically thoughtful contribution to this important debate. Does h...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, which is why I began by expressing the humility I feel on...

Is prevention not better than cure?

Prevention certainly is better than cure, but the question is: at what risk? I simply accept that...

indicated assent.

She nods, and I am grateful. If the germ line is to be modified, to me this is genetic modificati...

I have a sense of déjà vu, or perhaps déjà entendu. The objections that have been brought out tod...

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No, I will not give way, because I do not want to take up more than my allocated six minutes.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

No, I shall not. Those people are taking risks, because if the treatment does not work, there wil...

rose—

Order. The time limit on Back-Bench speeches is now reduced with immediate effect to four minutes...

This is a difficult issue for everybody. I have a real difficulty with this, which is that I cann...

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that mitochondrial DNA only codes the mitochondria, which we...

They remain—

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I will not take lots of interventions because it would damage the debate. They remain inherited, ...

If the hon. Gentleman is finished, I call Mr Robert Flello.

2.57 pm

The hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley (John Hemming) almost caught me napping.

It would b...

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I will take an intervention shortly. My hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Middleton (Liz McI...

I listened to what the hon. Gentleman said about hope, and he is right that we do not know how th...

It is simply that this legislation will open up research that is illegal, as I shall describe in ...

Why, in the hon. Gentleman’s opinion, are the Government trying to rush this through?

I think they are doing that because the legislation on the EU clinical trials directive will be t...

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Order. I understand the widespread unhappiness about the time constraints, but we are where we ar...

I apologise to you, Mr Speaker, and to the House for missing the opening speech in the debate. Ne...

But it can be inherited.

It is absolutely true that mitochondria can be inherited through the mother, but it does not chan...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

Let me make some progress, as others want to speak.

Thirdly, I hear a rejection on the grou...

We yearn for Back-Bench debates and free votes and we have one today. However, I detect that thos...

We all know the feeling.

One thing we are proud of in this country and, I hope, on both sid...

As we have heard, mitochondrial DNA makes up a tiny proportion of our total DNA. Unlike nuclear D...

I want to pick up on the point the hon. Lady makes about mitochondria not affecting characteristi...

I did not say it was just like changing a battery. In fact, I try to avoid using that terminology...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

No, I will not, because I need to make progress and let other people speak.

Last night, it ...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I will not, no.

In safety, the UK has a robust regulatory framework. A vote in favour of th...

Everybody who is following this debate will of course have the most profound sympathy for familie...

I hold the Minister in the utmost respect, but I feel greatly aggrieved that we are discussing th...

In her opening speech the Minister mentioned that the devolved Administrations had been kept abre...

I am glad my hon. Friend raised that point.

We cannot have a real debate today without the ...

On that point, will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am sorry, I cannot give way. I do not have enough time.

The legal opinion of the Labour Q...

Mitochondrial disease shortens lives, causes serious disability and leaves heartache in its wake....

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

No, I must not. We must make progress.

That assurance from the HFEA is important. It means ...

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With the leave of the House, it is proper that the Minister should have five minutes to respond. ...

We are here today to consider the regulations. The explanatory note says that the debate gives Pa...

I will try to touch on some of the points raised in this high-quality debate, in which views have...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I am afraid that I cannot, because my role now is to respond to the points that have already been...

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. We have just had a 90-minute debate during which a number of rig...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his point of order, and I confirm that two hon. Members who wished...

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. It is obviously of great concern to many Members of t...

I am always happy to offer my advice to the hon. Gentleman, but whether he takes it or not is ent...

rose—

I will come to the hon. Gentleman—how could I not?—but first of all, I will take the point of ord...

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman that introduced the point of order...

Well, that was—dare I say it?—a meaty point of order, or even a toothy one, but it was certainly ...

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. There is general dismay among many Members, and I am ...

I always listen to the hon. Gentleman, and I hope to every Member, with courtesy. I hope he will ...