An update from Andrea Williams.

Embryo selection for 'saviour sibling' vote

Lady O'Cathain's amendment to ban embryo selection for saviour siblings was sadly also defeated by a vote of 62 to 180. This practice involves destroying healthy embryos because they do not match the tissue type of an existing sick child in the family, and implanting a matching embryo (if there is one) in order to create a child who can provide healthy spare part tissue for the existing child.

In moving her amendment Lady O'Cathain stated: "First, there is the question of potential harms to the parties involved, most obviously the harm inflicted by the destruction of unsuitable embryos. Secondly, at the very centre of our ethical thought-both religious and secular, deriving from philosophy as well as tradition-lies the principle that one may not degrade an individual human life by treating it as an instrument for the benefit of others rather than as something to be regarded and respected in its own right. If we deviate from that principle, we have no fixed grounds on which to stand in resistance to other claims to create and manipulate human life for various beneficial ends."

"The designed child, for the duration of its life, will be witness to the intention of the designers and will always be vulnerable, both physically and psychologically, to further demands on its body. To manufacture a person in this way is to offend against the respect that is due to the integrity of that person, no matter how compelling the goal of trying to cure. I am therefore convinced that the right decision has to be total opposition to the deliberate creation of children as tissue donors for others."

Lord Patten argued that "Children are children and not organ banks", and Lord Winston warned "There is a real risk that children might be used, and therefore abused, with this technology, so we must consider this very carefully."

View the part of the debate covering 'saviour siblings' - (scroll down to Column 1267, Baroness O'Cathain).

See how each Peer voted - (scroll down to Division Number 2).

Monday, 21st Jan: votes on fathers and abortion

The House of Lords will continue to debate the Bill on Monday 21st January, when they will be voting on the 'need for a father' in IVF treatment and an amendment on abortion for disability. Lady Masham, who is disabled herself, laid the abortion amendment.

Currently the law permits abortion up to the point of birth if a child is diagnosed as disabled. This has been the point of some controversy in the past, as it has allowed the late abortion of foetuses for such minor conditions as a cleft palate (Joanna Jepson case). It is also argued by many disability rights groups that the law is discriminatory and eugenicist. Lady Masham's amendment proposes that abortion on the grounds of disability be repealed and therefore brought into line with the rest of the abortion law. Currently Lady Masham's amendment is the only abortion amendment that has been laid in the House of Lords.

You can still write to the Lords before Monday about fathers and abortion, and encouraging them to attend the votes.