Fertility reform held up by MPs, says watchdog

Plans to overhaul Britain's fertility laws have been held up by political squabbling over abortion rights, the head of the country's fertility watchdog said yesterday.

Lisa Jardine, who took charge of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in April, accused politicians of "opportunism" in seeking to restrict or liberalise abortion laws, which she argued should be dealt with separately from the new fertility laws.

The accusations drew criticism from MPs who have led the abortion debate.

The human fertilisation and embryology bill is intended to update the 18-year-old laws that govern fertility practice and research on embryos, but it has also given MPs the opportunity to reform abortion laws. Much of the debate has centred on the abortion time limit, with Gordon Brown and most Labour MPs voting to keep the status quo of 24 weeks, while David Cameron supported those in his party who sought a cut to 20 weeks.

The bill's next reading in parliament is on October 22, when MPs will discuss amendments, including one tabled by anti-abortion MPs that requires women to be given counselling about the psychiatric risks of a termination.

Speaking at the HFEA annual conference yesterday, Jardine said the bill should have come into force in the summer.

"Some parliamentarians have made it their business to use the opportunity to try to either strengthen laws against abortion or liberalise them," she said.

Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP and secretary of the all-party pro-choice group, said: "It is not opportunism for both sides of the abortion debate to use the only opportunity they have in 20 years to ensure that the British people are represented in debating abortion laws, which are a matter of critical importance to the welfare of women - and some would say, the unborn."