Asked by: Baroness Manzoor (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban people from going abroad to obtain paid surrogacy in poorer countries.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has no plans to restrict international travel for surrogacy. We recognise that surrogacy is a complex and sensitive issue, but we do not support arrangements in which any party may be at risk of exploitation. We have issued guidance for those considering surrogacy overseas, clearly outlining the possible risks for individuals returning to the United Kingdom with a child born through an international arrangement.
Asked by: Baroness Manzoor (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the exploitation of women in poorer countries involved in surrogacy.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK does not support international surrogacy involving any form of exploitation and is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Globally the UK is proud to defend and promote universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. At the multilateral level, and through our diplomatic and Official Development Assistance partnerships, we advocate that all people have the right to make informed decisions about childbearing, including if, whether and when to have children. Family planning interventions, including surrogacy, must always be voluntary and rooted in a human rights-based approach.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January to Question 25639 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to respond to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in this Parliament.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the chairs of the Law Commissions of England and Wales and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8352 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to publish details of the meeting of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health with the Law Commission; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministerial meetings attended by third parties are declared in the quarterly transparency publication on GOV.UK. The Government will publish a response to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in due course.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish its full response to the Law Commission’s report Building Families Through Surrogacy: A New Law, published in March 2023, following its interim response on 8 November 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the Chairs of the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November. A Government response to the commission’s report will be published as time allows.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health met with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority senior team on 20 July 2024. Regulatory oversight of surrogacy was discussed as part of a broader introductory discussion.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered making the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority a surrogacy regulator.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland published a review of surrogacy in March 2023. One of the recommendations in the report was for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to have a new regulatory role for surrogacy organisations.
The Government is considering the Law Commissions’ report and will publish a response as time allows.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the proposal for it to be designated as the regulator for surrogacy, as recommended in the Law Commission’s report Building Families Through Surrogacy: A New Law.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the Chairs of the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November. A Government response to the commission’s report will be published as time allows.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health met with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority senior team on 20 July 2024. Regulatory oversight of surrogacy was discussed as part of a broader introductory discussion.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet representatives of women and children's rights groups to discuss proposals announced by the Law Commission on 29 March 2023 in relation to surrogacy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Law Commission consulted widely as part of the preparation for their report. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the Chairs of the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November 2024. A Government response to the commissions’ report will be published as time allows. As such, the Department is not planning to meet women and children’s rights groups to discuss the matter at this time. We welcome future meetings on the topic at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority on the regulation of surrogacy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy met with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority senior team, where this issue was discussed as part of a broader introductory discussion.
Asked by: Frank McNally (Labour - Coatbridge and Bellshill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to respond to the report by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission entitled Building families through surrogacy: a new law, published on 28 March 2023, HC 1237, and draft bill.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be meeting with the Law Commission shortly to discuss its report and draft bill on surrogacy, and to inform consideration of the Government’s next steps.