Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals on surrogacy before the planned report on the issue by the Law Commission in 2021; and if he will make a statement.

The Law Commissions of England and Wales, and Scotland, are undertaking an independent review of United Kingdom surrogacy legislation, funded by the Government. I am intending to meet with the Law Commissions’ team in the spring to discuss their analysis of the consultation responses and the policy implications.

The Government has no plans to publish any draft legislative about surrogacy of its own.

The Government does not provide a formal Government response to the Commissions’ independent consultations. Under the Government’s Protocol with the Commissions we commit to providing an interim response to the recommendations within six months of publication of the report, and a full response within one year. The Law Commissions intend to publish a report, which will consider the responses received to their consultation and set out their recommendations for reform of the law, in 2021. This will be accompanied by a draft Bill.