UK government launches surrogacy guidance for gay parents after Tom Daley baby news

The UK government has said it “supports surrogacy” for “LGBT+ parents wanting to create a family”, issuing guidance on the issue for the first time after British Olympic diver Tom Daley announced he is expecting a child via surrogate.

Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black announced earlier this month that they are expecting their first child together. Though they have not spoken about their route to parenthood, it is believed the pair are using a surrogate, whose identity has not been made public.

Following the news, this week the UK government for the first time published guidance on surrogacy for prospective parents.

The guidance notes that surrogacy is common for “LGBT+ parents wanting to create a family”, and states that the Government “supports surrogacy as part of the range of assisted conception options”.

It adds: “Our view is that surrogacy is a pathway, starting with deciding which surrogacy organisation to work with, deciding which surrogate or intended parents (IPs) to work with, reaching an agreement about how things will work, trying to get pregnant, supporting each other through pregnancy and then birth, applying for a parental order to transfer legal parenthood and then helping your child understand the circumstances of their birth.”

It reaffirms that commercial surrogacy is banned in the UK, saying: “Money should not be a motivation for surrogacy. Surrogates in the UK are expected to be paid, no more than reasonable expenses.”

The government also advises parents to talk to children about how they were conceived at pre-school age.

It states: “Research suggests that openness, confidence and transparency about a child’s origins from an early age (pre-school) is the best way to talk to children about their identity and origins.

“Your fertility counsellor should have given you the opportunity to explore how you feel about telling a child about their origins, and fertility counsellors would be happy to help you reach a decision about this at any time, as your thoughts and feelings about if, when and how to do this may change over time. “

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: “We know that surrogacy can be a complex journey which is why we have created a guide fit for modern society, one which balances the need for emotional support with clear legal explanations, for surrogates and intended-parents alike.

• Nov 29

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