HFEA UNDER THE AXE?

A tiny piece in The Times today (News, p 15) suggests that the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), the fertility watchdog CORE has been watching very attentively since 1990 when it was first created, may be coming to the end of its life.

‘Expected to be abolished or scaled back’ is how the reporters describe the future of this controversial quango.The same article suggests that ethical guidance and decisions will transfer to Parliament or ministers in the Department of Health.

This is welcome news for many, but from  CORE’s perspective ethical guidance should never ever have strayed from Parliament in the first place.  From its earliest days the HFEA has taken upon itself innumerable controversial decisions which have been made through the democratic process.

News of the HFEA going under the axe is not unexpected.  At the last public meeting of the HFEA, which was as usual attended by but a mere handful of the public, Lisa Jardine, the current chair, intimated that there might be major changes ahead.

CORE looks forward to Parliament re-asserting its proper role in the governance of assisted reproduction.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 9:57 am and is filed under Monday, July 26th, 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.