Human Embryos (Hansard, 16 March 1990)

§ Mr. Richard Alexander (Newark)
I have the honour to present this petition from the parishioners of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Newark. It concerns protection of the human embryo, and has been signed by 225 people. The petition reads: Wherefore Your Petitioners Pray that the House of Commons will take immediate steps to enact legislation which: (a) forbids any procedure that involves purchase or sale of human embryos, the discarding or freezing of human embryos, their uses 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 (b) forbids all forms of trans-species fertilisation And Your Petitioners, As in duty bound, will ever pray etc. I present this petition with my support.

§ Mr. Max Madden (Bradford, West)
I wish to present a petition signed by Reverend Teodor Poloczek and 400 parishioners of Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church in Bradford, who affirm: That the newly-fertilised human embryo is a real, living human being: therefore we welcome the statement in the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology (the Warnock Report) That "the status of the embryo is a matter of fundamental principle which should be enshrined in legislation", and its recommendation that the embryo of the human species should be afforded protection in law. And therefore we oppose all such practices as are recommended in the 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 will take immediate steps to enact legislation which (a) forbids any procedure that involves purchase or sale of human embryos, the discarding or freezing of human embryos, their use as sources of transplant tissue or as 794 subjects for research or experiment (unless this is done solely for the benefit of the embryo concerned) and (b) forbids all forms of trans-species fertilisation. I beg leave to present the petition.

§ Sir David Steel (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale)
I wish to present a petition on the same subject, signed by Father John Robinson and 50 constituents in the parish of St. Cuthbert. Some of their anxieties will be met by the Government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, but other observations in the petition will not coincide either with the Government's legislation or with my views. Nevertheless, I recognise the sincerely held views of a minority of my constituents in this matter and am therefore honoured to present the petition on their behalf.
The petition says: Wherefore Your Petitioners Pray that the House of Commons will take immediate steps to enact legislation which (a) forbids any procedure that involves purchase or sale of human embryos, the discarding or freezing 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 (b) forbids all forms of transpecies fertilisation. And Your Petitioners, as in Duty Bound, will ever pray etc.