Human Embryos (Hansard, 15 March 1990)

§ Mr. Ken Hargreaves (Hyndburn)

In a week when 10,000 members of the public lobbied Parliament in support of a ban on the use of human embryos as guinea-pigs, I wish to present two petitions which affirm that the human embryo is a real, live human being and urge that it is therefore entitled to the same legal protection that the rest of us enjoy. One petition reads: To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The Humble Petition of the officers and supporters attending the 1989 National Conference of the organisation LIFE … Showeth that we affirm that the newly-fertilised human embryo is a real, living human being. Therefore, we welcome the statement by the Secretary of State for Social Services on 28 January 1985 that "the Government fully recognises the importance of the ethical and moral questions to be addressed in the debate, including the status of the embryo, and they will guard against undermining the special respect that is owed to the family and children and to the creation of human life. 785 And therefore we oppose all such practices as are recommended in the Warnock Report, which discriminate against the embryo, or violate his/her human dignity and right to life. Wherefore your Petitioners pray that the House of Commons, mindful of the Petition for the Protection of The Human Embryo, which was presented to the House of Commons in 1984/85 and bore some two million signatures, will take immediate steps to enact legislation which (a) protects the human embryo from any practices which violate his/her dignity or right to life; (b) forbids any procedure that involves purchase or sale of human embryos, the discarding of human embryos, their use as sources of transplant tissue or as subjects for research or experiment unless this is done solely for the benefit of the embryo concerned; and (c) forbids all forms of trans-species of fertilisation. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. That is signed by Keith Davies of 50 Eastham road, Billesley, Birmingham and 500 members of LIFE throughout the country.

The second petition is couched in similar terms and is signed by Mr. Hugh Morrison of 18 Devonshire drive, Accrington. It is signed also by 36 members of the Evangelical Fellowship, York street, Church and Peel street Baptist church, Accrington.