DESTRUCTION OF STORED HUMAN EMBRYOS

That this House notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 1582), dated 25 July 2009, a copy of which was laid before this House on 1 July 2009, does not provide for the preservation of embryos whose statutory storage period has expired; is concerned that in circumstances where people have stored embryos under 1991 regulations ahead of medical treatment that renders one or other of them infertile that the lack of transitional arrangements in the Regulations will result in the embryos being destroyed against the express wishes of the donors; further notes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority supported the case for allowing people in such cases to have access to further extensions to the storage period; calls on the Government to bring forward further regulations to allow for the continued storage of embryos for those who actively desire it in order that they might use them to have a family by means of surrogacy; and further calls on the Government to act immediately to suspend the destruction of such embryos where the donors so wish.