Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill — Fertility treatment requires father and mother — rejected — 20 May 2008 at 18:30

Theresa May MP, Maidenhead voted in the minority (Aye).

The majority of MPs voted against requiring the need for both a father and a mother to be considered when taking account of the welfare of a child who may be born as a result of fertility treatment. Instead, the law will stipulate the need for "supportive parenting".

The current text in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 says:[1]

  • A woman shall not be provided with treatment services unless account has been taken of the welfare of any child who may be born as a result of the treatment (including the need of that child for a father), and of any other child who may be affected by the birth.

The new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill under discussion will substitute "a father" for "supportive parenting".[2]

The vote, which was lost, would have instead changed "a father" to "a father and a mother" as it was written in the 1990 law.[3]

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (No)Minority (Aye)BothTurnout
Con12 144 (+1 tell)081.8%
DUP0 6066.7%
Independent2 30100.0%
Independent Labour0 10100.0%
Lab232 (+2 tell) 50080.9%
LDem40 7 (+1 tell)076.2%
PC1 1066.7%
SDLP0 30100.0%
SNP5 10100.0%
UUP0 10100.0%
Total:292 217080.9%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
John BaronBillericayCon (front bench)no
John BercowBuckinghamwhilst Con (front bench)no
Stephen DorrellCharnwoodCon (front bench)no
Nigel EvansRibble ValleyConno
Nick HerbertArundel and South DownsCon (front bench)no
Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)no
Francis MaudeHorshamCon (front bench)no
George OsborneTattonCon (front bench)no
John PenroseWeston-Super-MareCon (front bench)no
David TredinnickBosworthConno
Andrew TyrieChichesterCon (front bench)no
Ed VaizeyWantageCon (front bench)no
John BattleLeeds WestLab (minister)aye
Stuart BellMiddlesbroughLab (minister)aye
Joe BentonBootleLab (minister)aye
David BlunkettSheffield, BrightsideLabaye
Andy BurnhamLeighLab (minister)aye
Ronnie CampbellBlyth ValleyLabaye
Tom ClarkeCoatbridge, Chryston and BellshillLab (minister)aye
David CrausbyBolton North EastLab (minister)aye
Tony CunninghamWorkingtonLab (minister)aye
Claire Curtis-ThomasCrosbyLab (minister)aye
Quentin DaviesGrantham and Stamfordwhilst Lab (front bench)aye
Brian H DonohoeCentral AyrshireLab (minister)aye
David DrewStroudLab (minister)aye
Frank FieldBirkenheadLab (minister)aye
Michael Jabez FosterHastings and RyeLab (minister)aye
Roger GodsiffBirmingham, Sparkbrook and Small HeathLabaye
Paul GogginsWythenshawe and Sale EastLab (minister)aye
John GroganSelbyLab (minister)aye
Patrick HallBedfordLab (minister)aye
David HamiltonMidlothianLab (minister)aye
Tom HarrisGlasgow SouthLab (minister)aye
Stephen HesfordWirral WestLab (minister)aye
Kate HoeyVauxhallLab (minister)aye
Lindsay HoyleChorleyLab (minister)aye
Huw Irranca-DaviesOgmoreLab (minister)aye
Ruth KellyBolton WestLab (minister)aye
Peter KilfoyleLiverpool, WaltonLabaye
Ashok KumarMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandLab (minister)aye
Andrew MacKinlayThurrockLab (minister)aye
Thomas McAvoyRutherglen and Hamilton WestLab (minister)aye
John McFallWest DunbartonshireLab (minister)aye
Jim McGovernDundee WestLab (minister)aye
Alan MealeMansfieldLabaye
Austin MitchellGreat GrimsbyLab (minister)aye
George MudieLeeds EastLab (minister)aye
Chris MullinSunderland SouthLab (minister)aye
Paul MurphyTorfaenLab (minister)aye
Andy ReedLoughboroughLab (minister)aye
Frank RoyMotherwell and WishawLab (minister)aye
Marsha SinghBradford WestLab (minister)aye
Geraldine SmithMorecambe and LunesdaleLab (minister)aye
Anne SnelgroveSouth SwindonLab (minister)aye
John SpellarWarleyLabaye
Ian StewartEcclesLab (minister)aye
David TaylorNorth West LeicestershireLab (minister)aye
Paddy TippingSherwoodLab (minister)aye
Don TouhigIslwynLab (minister)aye
Derek TwiggHaltonLab (minister)aye
Keith VazLeicester EastLab (minister)aye
Claire WardWatfordLab (minister)aye
Colin BreedSouth East CornwallLDem (front bench)aye
John HemmingBirmingham, YardleyLDem (front bench)aye
Mark HunterCheadleLDem (front bench)aye
Paul KeetchHerefordLDem (front bench)aye
John PughSouthportLDem (front bench)aye
Paul RowenRochdaleLDem (front bench)tellaye
Matthew TaylorTruro and St AustellLDemaye
John ThursoCaithness, Sutherland and Easter RossLDem (front bench)aye
Angus MacNeilNa h-Eileanan an IarSNP (front bench)aye

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