SourcePARENTS should be allowed to choose the sex of their children to achieve a balanced family, MPs have recommended in a report that has opened up divisions in a parliamentary select committee.
The report, from the Select Committee on Science and Technology, also recommends the abolition of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and says that opposition to reproductive cloning is based “more on taboos than coherent argument”.
The final report, published today, was agreed by just four members of the ten-strong committee, plus the chairman, Dr Ian Gibson.
Later, when the committee gathered to agree a summary and a press release, the minority MPs blocked agreement on both. Instead, an informal summary was issued yesterday by the office of Evan Harris, one of the five who approved the report. The others were Dr Gibson, Robert Key, Brian Iddon and Des Turner.
The dissidents assert that the proposals are too libertarian and fail to uphold the precautionary principle that is at the heart of contemporary legislation. They also maintain that insufficient regard was given to public opinion and ethical arguments.
The split in the committee seems likely to render its conclusions easily ignored, should the Government so wish. But Dr Gibson said yesterday: “After the best part of a year, 12 evidence sessions, visits to multiple areas both domestically and abroad and many hours of deliberation, no one can say that this important report has not been thoroughly researched and considered.
The report, from the Select Committee on Science and Technology, also recommends the abolition of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and says that opposition to reproductive cloning is based “more on taboos than coherent argument”.
The final report, published today, was agreed by just four members of the ten-strong committee, plus the chairman, Dr Ian Gibson.
Later, when the committee gathered to agree a summary and a press release, the minority MPs blocked agreement on both. Instead, an informal summary was issued yesterday by the office of Evan Harris, one of the five who approved the report. The others were Dr Gibson, Robert Key, Brian Iddon and Des Turner.
The dissidents assert that the proposals are too libertarian and fail to uphold the precautionary principle that is at the heart of contemporary legislation. They also maintain that insufficient regard was given to public opinion and ethical arguments.
The split in the committee seems likely to render its conclusions easily ignored, should the Government so wish. But Dr Gibson said yesterday: “After the best part of a year, 12 evidence sessions, visits to multiple areas both domestically and abroad and many hours of deliberation, no one can say that this important report has not been thoroughly researched and considered.