HL Deb 02 December 2002 vol 641 cc82-3WA
Lord Alton of Liverpool

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the significance of asking respondents to the questionnaire on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's consultation document Sex Selection: Choice and Responsibility in Human Reproduction to identify themselves in a category called "pro life"; and why respondents are not also asked to identify themselves where appropriate in a category called "pro abortion". [HL207]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority gave organisations responding to its consultation on sex selection the opportunity to identify themselves as "pro life" because it is particularly interested in whether such groups would condone sex selection techniques, such as sperm sorting, that do not involve the destruction of embryos. The list of categories is not comprehensive and "pro abortion" organisations can take the opportunity to identify themselves as such if they so wish.