§ Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to curb the activities of clinics which assist parents to determine the sex of their children.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action she intends to take to stop the genetic techniques in use at the gender clinic, London; and if she will make a statement;
(2) what guidelines she intends to issue governing the development and introduction of genetic techniques to determine the sex of children.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 already controls clinics where sex selection involves in-vitro fertilisation or artificial insemination by donor. The need for controls on other activities of clinics which claim to be able to offer this service is under consideration. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has issued a consultation document on the various issues raised by sex selection and the Government will carefully take the results of this exercise into account in deciding whether further action by the Government may be needed.