Dr.
Pugh: Will the Minister give
way?
Dawn
Primarolo: I should just like to make the general points
to get them on the record, but after that I am happy for the hon.
Gentleman to respond. I should like to state my case
first. Before
we go down the highways and byways of human rights and everything else,
it is good to mention that the Joint Committee on Human Rights said
that it was concerned about the suggestion that the donor information
should appear on the birth certificate, because it felt that it raised
serious concerns about the privacy of the donor as well as of the
donor-conceived individual. On that basis, the Government recognised
that this was a highly complicated issue and that other considerations
were in place, including “telling and talking” projects
and counselling. We accepted in another place that it would be
sensible, after the Bill receives Royal Assent—we
cannot start before then—for us to consider the matter and return
to the House within four
years. The
final point was about what the Department for Work and Pensions record
says. The DWP White Paper, which was written before the
Bill—although the Bill is going the way the White Paper wants to
go—is about the responsibility of parents. That has been
recognised, specifically, in the context of a commitment to the
upbringing of the child, financially and otherwise. The White Paper
addresses that point, which is already dealt with in the Bill. The Bill
also includes a cross-reference to the child support legislation to
ensure that there is a commitment in that regard. Although the White
Paper was written without reference to the details in the Bill, which
has yet to receive Royal Assent, the Bill does not contradict it. In
fact, the White Paper talks about bringing everything up to the point
where all parents are responsible, including mothers and fathers and
those in civil partnerships and relationships. That is a different
discussion. It
being twenty-five minutes past Ten o’clock, The
Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put,
pursuant to the Standing
Order. Adjourned
till this day at One
o’clock.
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