Mitochondrial Replacement (Public Safety)

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. Nineteen Members wish to speak and other Members are trying to catch my eye to intervene. It is an important debate and we need to allow the allotted speakers in, so Members should think very hard before trying to intervene.

[Fiona Bruce]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Parliament should be allowed to deliberate on and debate this issue at length, but that might not happen. I understand that the Government propose to lay regulations permitting PNT and MST before the end of this year. Sir John Tooke, president of the Academy of Medical Sciences has said:

“Introducing regulations now will ensure that there is no avoidable delay in these treatments reaching affected families once there is sufficient evidence of safety and efficacy.”

In other words, Parliament should vote blind and sign off legislation permitting these procedures before the recommended experiments—some of them critical, regarding safety—have been completed.

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I will bring a four-minute limit in to give us a chance to maximise the number of speakers. If Members can cut the length of their speech, all the better.