Rebel MPs plan to sabotage Cameron's three-parent baby bill

DAVID Cameron is facing a revolt by MPs over plans to create the country’s first “three-parent babies” by engineering embryos using donated DNA from a “second mother”.

BabyGETTY

The three-parent baby bill would allow women with diseases to have healthy children

Conservative MP Fiona Bruce has tabled a wrecking amendment which will come before MPs on Tuesday. 

It calls for Parliament to reject the proposals to let the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority license clinics for mitochondrial replacement therapy. 

Permitting these techniques would be tantamount to experimenting on children

Fiona Bruce MP

An Early Day Motion signed by six cross-party MPs has also called for the vote to be delayed until the results of safety tests are released. 

Last night Ms Bruce said: “A number of world leading scientists are expressing grave concerns about these procedures and even those promoting these techniques are unable to assure us they are safe. 

“Permitting these techniques would be tantamount to experimenting on children, and that I cannot in all conscience condone.” 

The Church of England and the Catholic Church have also warned the Government not to rush through the change. 

Explaining 'Three Parent Babies' Procedure - This Morning

The row is over a technique to prevent devastating diseases caused by faults in mitochondria, which power the cells in the body. 

Developed by scientists at Newcastle University, it involves swapping a mother to-be’s diseased mitochondria with healthy ones from an egg from another woman. 

Supporters, who include five Nobel Prize winners, say it would allow those in the shadow of incurable disease the chance of having a healthy child. 

It is estimated at least 150 babies a year could be born using the technique.

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