Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill — Testing for gender-related illness — 19 May 2008 at 21:45
The majority of MPs voted against tightening the provisions for when the sex of an embryo could be established, under a license from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.[1]
When the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is passed, it would be possible to establish the sex of an embryo in a case where there is a particular risk that any resulting child will have or develop:[2]
- a gender-related serious physical or mental disability,
- a gender-related serious illness, or
- any other gender-related serious medical condition
The proposal would have changed these conditions to:[3]
- a gender-related physical or mental disability which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life,
- a gender-related serious illness which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life, or
- any other gender-related serious medical condition which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life
but the original words were kept.
- [1] Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, Schedule 2, OPSI
- [2] Embryo testing, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, Schedule 2, 3 1ZA(1)(c).
- [3] Mark Simmonds MP, House of Commons, 19 May 2008
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.
| Party | Majority (No) | Minority (Aye) | Both | Turnout |
| Con | 32 | 101 (+2 tell) | 0 | 70.3% |
| DUP | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20.0% |
| Lab | 239 (+2 tell) | 24 | 0 | 75.5% |
| LDem | 39 | 15 | 1 | 87.3% |
| PC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66.7% |
| SDLP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33.3% |
| SNP | 3 | 2 | 0 | 83.3% |
| Total: | 317 | 148 | 1 | 74.4% |
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
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