Committee Details

committee'S report

The committee tabled its Report No. 33, 57th Parliament - Inquiry into matters relating to donor conception information on 31 August 2022. The government tabled their interim response to the committee's report on 29 November 2022.

about the inquiry

On 24 February 2022 the Legislative Assembly agreed:

That the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee (the committee) inquire into and report to the Legislative Assembly by 31 August 2022 on:

1. Issues relating to access to donor conception information, including:

1.   Rights of donor-conceived persons, including to know their genetic origins;
2.   Extent to which identifying information about donors should be given to donor-conceived persons, taking into consideration the right to privacy of donors;
3.   Access to historical clinical records and implications of retrospectivity;
4.   Access to support and counselling for donor-conceived persons and donors;
5.   Whether a register should be established; and
6.   Benefits, risks and implications on donor conception practices arising from any recommendations

2. That the committee consider:

1.   Views and experiences of donor-conceived people, donors and industry stakeholders of the current framework;
2.   Current governance/regulatory frameworks, including registers established interstate;
3.   Options to manage collection, storage, and disclosure of identifying and non-identifying information about donors, donor-conceived persons and relatives;
4.   Whether and how to collect and disclose identifying information about donors where a donation was made on the condition of anonymity, including matters relating to consent;
5.   Whether any model should include information from private donor arrangements;
6.   Costs of any proposal including to establish and maintain any register and options for efficiencies, including a user-pays model;
7.   Whether regulating donor conception practices and assisted reproductive technology should also be considered as part of establishing a donor conception register; and
8.   Human rights engaged under the Human Rights Act 2019.

Further information

Further information including written briefings from the department, the response to submissions, transcripts from proceedings and answers to questions taken on notice are under the Related Publications tab.

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