CARE : Committee Stage comes to and end

Committee Stage come to and end

Good representation was made at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill

FatherBW After strenuous detailed debates the committee stage of the HFEB came to an end in the House of Lords late in the evening of Wednesday the 12th. Monday this week saw the debate focused on parenting, fatherhood and the necessity for Government to recognize the important contribution fathers make to a childs safety and wellbeing. On Wednesday among other things a number of issues CARE is concerned about including the creation of a National Human Bio-Ethics committee and a reform of the Abortion Act were discussed.

Encouragingly and quite significantly research produced by CARE was quoted on Monday. CAREs bibliography on Fatherhood, one of the oft quoted pieces of research, can be accessed HERE.

No votes were made, which is not uncommon at this stage of the passage of the Bill through the procedures. The report stage and third reading (when the key votes will take place) is expected on the 15th of January. After that the Bill will go to the House of Commons probably in February or March. It is important to note that Gorden Brown has given ministers and MPs from the Labour party a free vote. Read more HERE.

Four days of Committee stage have seen a number of higly important issues debated. To access the debates text please follow the relevant links. On Monday the 3rd of December a prominent part of the debate related to Animal Human Hybrids (or inter-species embryos). Access the debate HERE. Tuesday of the same week Human Reproductive Cloning and Saviour Siblings were a main part of the debates which can be accessed HERE. The third day, Monday the 10th, saw significant time devoted to debating the Fathers provision. This can be accessed HERE.
The fourth and final day of debate was on Wednesday the 12th. Amongst other things issues relating to the amendment of the Abortion Act and the creation of a National Human Bio-Ethics committee where debated. The text of the debate can be accessed HERE

The Bill as it stands now can be accessed HERE.

CARE has produced a summary which highlights the particular issues CARE is concerned with. This can be accessed HERE.

For those trying to get their heads around why Animal-Human hybrids (an issue contained in the HFEB) are of particular concern to Christians from a theological and critical point of view, CARE has created a document which can be accessed HERE.

For more information on how you might get involved please contact CARE.