Background and the Aims of the APPG on Surrogacy 

The UK has regulated surrogacy arrangements for over 30 years, initially enacting the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985 as a response to the 1984 Warnock Committee’s recommendations. Later additions to the law were made by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Little, however, has changed since, other than the provision of a mechanism for the transfer of legal parenthood from surrogates to intended parents from 1994 and allowing, from 2008, unmarried intended parents in ‘enduring family relationships’ or civil partnerships to become legal parents via these parental orders (and latterly also same-sex married couples).

Surrogacy laws are now largely out of date, and out of step with the modern reality of surrogacy as it is practised in the UK. A 2015 report showed that the majority of surrogacy arrangements undertaken by intended parents in the UK are relationships entered into using UK-based surrogates and on an altruistic expenses-only basis.  We also know, from academic studies following families created by surrogacy that surrogate-born children fare well in supportive environments. The 2015 report highlighted the reality of the practice of surrogacy in the UK, while recognising the problems that international surrogacy arrangements may bring. It is true that some aspects of the landscape of surrogacy have changed – the internet age has brought an expansion of international surrogacy fed by easily-accessible information and cheap international travel, alongside the willingness of other nations to open their borders and clinics for those willing and able to travel to enter surrogacy arrangements. This is not without risk and is one of the key reasons that this group was set up – to drive reform of the domestic law on surrogacy not only to bring it into line with modern reality, but also to potentially lessen the need or desire to undertake surrogacy overseas.

This group believes that the careful formulation of new legislation on surrogacy which recognises the value of surrogacy as a way of having children and helps to protect and facilitate the altruistic, compensatory nature of surrogacy in the UK, while preventing commercialisation and sharp practice, is necessary. Its recommendations will be premised on the primary assumption that the welfare of children born through surrogacy is paramount.

The Government has lent its support to a review being conducted jointly by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission, including in debates in the Lords’ chamber in 2016 and Westminster Hall in 2020, and in responses to many questions in both Houses. In 2018 it laid before Parliament a remedial order to allow solo parents to apply for a parental order following surrogacy, following the issue of a declaration of incompatibility with human rights laws issued by the President of the Family Division of the High Court in 2016, demonstrating in part its commitment to change. This group will continue to urge the Government to fully review our surrogacy laws, to facilitate further research into how it is conducted, to bring the law into line with modern social realities and to discourage those who need to undertake surrogacy from doing so overseas.

List of current APPG members

Officers: Andrew Percy MP (Con), Holly Mumby-Croft MP (Con), Catherine West MP (Lab), Diana Johnson MP (Lab)

Members: Layla Moran MP (Lib Dem) Anna McMorrin MP (Lab) Baroness Featherstone (Lib Dem) John Cryer MP (Lab) Jessica Morden MP (Lab) Thangam Debbonaire MP (Lab) Vicky Foxcroft MP (Lab) Rosie Duffield MP (Lab) Tom Tugendhat MP (Con) Will Wragg MP (Con) Baroness Liz Barker (Lib Dem) Viscount Craigavon (cross-bench) Jackie Doyle-Price MP (Con) Kirsten Oswald MP (SNP) Jacob Young MP (Con) Paul Holmes MP (Con) Neil Coyle MP (Lab). 

APPG on Surrogacy Report: "Report on understandings of the law and practice of surrogacy"

You can read the APPG on Surrogacy's report: "Report on understandings of the law and practice of surrogacy", via the link below. The report outlines our recommendations for future law reform. We also plan to hold a report launch event as soon as current circumstances allow. 

We are very grateful to everyone who took part in our APPG evidence sessions and meetings over the past few years. 

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Launch of the APPG on Surrogacy's Report: Understandings of the Law and Practice of Surrogacy

On Apr 26, 2021, the APPG on Surrogacy launched its report via an online webinar. The webinar was hosted by Sarah Norcross, Director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), and panellists included Andrew Percy MP (Chair of the APPG), Minister, Lord Bethell of Romford (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care), surrogates and intended parents, and representatives from the Law Commissions. 

Contact the APPG

If you have any questions about the APPG, please do contact the APPG's secretariat, the Surrogacy UK Working Group on Surrogacy Law Reform, at k.horsey@kent.ac.uk

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