Fertility
treatment ruling will erode role of fathers
Allowing single and gay women to receive fertility treatment will erode the role
of fathers in family life, a spokesperson for CORE (Comment on reproductive Ethics)
said this week.
"Suzi Leather, Chair of the HFEA, has shocked the nation," a CORE spokesman
commented. " ... her dismissive attitude to the role of the father in the
family structure is causing wide concern."
"She argues that because there are so many single women heading families
in the UK, we should consider eliminating altogether that phrase in the HFE Act
which refers to the child's need for a father.
"This is political correctness at its most absurd. In assisted reproduction
it is the duty of society to offer ideal family situations to the children who
are created, not replicate or legitimise the unfortunate disintegration of society
as we find it today. The role of father is immensely important and cannot be
reduced to a one-off donation of sperm. Children need real fathers and this was
the intention of Parliament in 1990 when it wrote the relative phrase into the
HFE Act. A father is a father, and this very precious role cannot be fulfilled
by uncles, family friends or lesbian partners.
"Just when the HFEA seemed to be getting more sensible, with a growing concern
for the welfare of children (exemplified by their decision to endorse the abolition
of gamete donor anonymity), we find them going back to square one on this contentious
issue. Thousands of licences have already been given to single and lesbian women,
anyway, and continue to be issued despite the clear intent of Parliament when
the Act was enacted in 1990, so it is difficult to understand why the matter
is suddenly of such importance.
"With review of the HFE Act on the immediate horizon, it is time to ensure
that our legislation is strengthened, not weakened. We must uphold the rights
of the child in every situation, including the right to a real, tangible father
as nature intended. Many countries have the courage to insist that IVF is provided
only to heterosexual couples in stable relationships. Why not the UK?"
More at www.corethics.org
New mobile phone code aims to protect children
A coalition of children’s charities, including The Children’s Society,
has praised new mobile phone regulations calling the code of practice “a
major step forward in protecting children from paedophiles and pornography on
the internet”.
However, The Children’s Charities’ Coalition for Internet Safety (CHIS)
challenged fixed internet companies to introduce equally tough measures to “stamp
out abuse online”.
All the major mobile companies have agreed to the new code which will:
- Block
access for under 18s to un-moderated chat rooms and “adult-only” sites
- Establish
an independent body to govern what content is not suitable
for under 18s
- Provide
advice for children, parents and carers about new mobile phone
technology
CHIS’s
John Carr said: “With the expected explosion in mobile phone
technology, it is vital that children are protected from paedophiles
and other dangers lurking on the internet. Mobile phone internet
access will make it harder for parents to keep a check on what
their children are viewing and doing online.
“These new measures are a great step forward for the mobile phone industry
and we very much welcome them. But ... children’s charities are anxious
to see how the code will be implemented and its effects monitored and reviewed.
The new code is going to make many people ask why, if the mobile people can do
it, the fixed internet people can’t. We are calling on them to take this
forward as a matter of urgency.”
The CHIS has also questioned how age verification and safety software would
be enforced while “millions of handsets are already being used by children”.
More at http://www.the-childrens-society.org.uk/home/CHIS.htm
'Advertising is producing greedy kids’ says Bishop
Bishop the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert has warned that children’s advertising
is “in serious danger of producing a nation of fat and greedy children
with thin and starving souls”.
Speaking in a House of Lords debate on direct marketing to children, the Bishop
of St Albans accused adults of “lacking in moral courage” and added
that regarding children as consumers was “morally degrading”.
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