Anger over plans to cut fathers out of ferility laws

[Rebadow]

Labour MPs are preparing to revolt over Government plans to declare fathers an irrelevance in a major shake-up of Britain's fertility laws.
Ministers will today unveil legislation scrapping a requirement for IVF clinics to consider a baby's need for a father.
The move is designed to make it easier for single woman and lesbian couples to get fertility treatment on the NHS.
The Department of Health argues the law as it stands is skewed in favour of heterosexual couples.
The legislation will also allow two women both to be registered formally as a child's 'mother' on birth certificates.
But senior Labour MPs say changes under the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will send 'entirely the wrong signal'.
They are planning to table amendments to the Bill, expected in the Commons in the New Year, seeking to overturn the Government's plans.
Rebel MPs also want to block the creation of 'chimera' and hybrid embryos - human embryos with animal DNA transplanted into them - for research.
The Bill will also give the green light to such experiments, despite furious protests from pro-life campaigners. Geraldine Smith, Labour MP for Morecambe, who sat on a Parliamentary committee which considered the new legislation, said she would vote against it.
"We could have quite large Labour rebellions on various aspects of this Bill," she predicted.

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