Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill — Fertility treatment requires father and mother — rejected — 20 May 2008 at 18:30
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]
- [1] Conditions of licences for treatment, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, Clause 13(5)
- [2] Conditions of licences for treatment, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, Clause 14(2)(b), 6 February 2008
- [3] Iain Duncan Smith MP, House of Commons, 20 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 | 12 | 144 (+1 tell) | 0 | 81.8% |
| DUP | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Independent | 2 | 3 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Lab | 232 (+2 tell) | 50 | 0 | 80.9% |
| LDem | 40 | 7 (+1 tell) | 0 | 76.2% |
| PC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| SDLP | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100.0% |
| SNP | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| UUP | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Total: | 292 | 217 | 0 | 80.9% |
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
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