Scottish prelates ask prime minister to reconsider embryo legislation

Published: 2007-07-18

LONDON (CNS) -- Scotland's two most senior Catholic leaders have asked the newly appointed British prime minister to reconsider proposals to deliberately create children without fathers. Cardinal Keith O'Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh and Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow have written to Gordon Brown, who replaced Tony Blair as prime minister June 27, to criticize the lack of sufficient public consultation over the Draft Human Tissue and Embryology Bill. "To proceed in haste with regard to issues of such grave importance is both improper and dangerous," the archbishops said in their joint letter, released to the press July 17. "We ask you now to act with some urgency to ensure that these very important considerations are given the time they merit," they added. The bill, which will be introduced into Parliament in the fall, includes the abolition of the requirement for fertility clinics to consider the need for a father when deciding on treatment. This means that the clinics would no longer be able to deny treatment to lesbians and single mothers. In certain circumstances, a gay male couple would be able to apply for a parental order in surrogacy cases.

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