A politician is seeking the public's views on same-sex legal parentage and birth registration, or surrogacy.

Legislation to create parity with the UK legislation on human embryology, fertilisation, and same-sex parentage is being proposed.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill 2023, if enacted, would replace Part 9 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2001 (Fertilisation, Surrogacy etc.) and amend parts of the Civil Registration Act 1984 to introduce:

·         new provisions relating to the meaning of ‘father’ and the donation of sperm and eggs;

·         provisions concerning other circumstances around ‘fatherhood’ involving same or different sex parents and assisted reproduction, via artificial insemination, embryonic transfer, egg donation etc.;

·         extended provisions dealing with parental rights on the death of a partner;

·         new meanings of marriage, civil partnership and the register of births;

·         new provisions relating to parental orders in respect of a child; and ·        

to provide the Island with the means to more easily extend any further update to surrogacy law in England and Wales to the Manx statute book, following consultation and creation of a draft Bill by the UK Law Commission.

Leave to introduce this new Private Member’s Bill was granted by Legislative Council to its proposer Tanya August-Hanson MLC, who, as a member of the department, has support from the Department of Health and Social Care to progress the Bill.

 For more information about the purpose and intended effects of the new Bill, and to submit your views, please follow this link to the Consultation Hub.

Anyone wishing to discuss the consultation may contact Tanya August-Hanson MLC directly by email on [email protected].

 The consultation will close on September 29.