Superstition has no place in law.

Julian Morrison, Reading, UK

McClean has no idea whether the embryo is complete with a human soul. As with many other ethical cases involving life the benefit of the doubt MUST be given unless it is proven that the embryo is not concretely alive. Else such presumption is murderous irrespective of the nature of the embryo.

Greg Lorriman, Leatherhead, UK

The "public" and "moral conscience" are just aliases for the Catholic churche's age-old tradition of trying to impose its minority feudal dogma by stealth.

Ian, Berwick, UK

Professor McLean is spot on. The moral objectors to this bill are those who object to what is currently lawful. In vitro fertilisation has been with us for some years and has allowed thousands of infertile couples to have children. Laws are in place that govern the use of live embryos.

Des, Edinburgh,

Has anyone else noticed that when trying for a baby even before it exists it is always named as a baby or even from the very beginning of pregnancy it is always referred to as a baby?
Yet when it is a case of experimentation or abortion then the baby becomes a feotus or an embryo.
Eileen Cumbria

Eileen Morris, Ulverston,

Perhaps Ms Mclean wouldn't call it manipulation if she had managed to get the UK government to listen. In any case moral populism has another name, it's called collective conscience. Surely it's good if the government listens to the public and lets MP's according to conscience.That's democracy.

Ian Homer, Cardiff,