Today I will be voting to support the use of mitochondrial donation which can stop the suffering of children from a series of terrible diseases.

Mitochondrial DNA is not the DNA which determines our character as people. If we were discussing allowing the DNA which shapes human characteristics to come from 3 parents this WOULD be a major ethical and moral step but we are not.

Donating healthy mitochondrial DNA is akin to a heart, lung or kidney donation - it simply replaces the broken 'battery' of the cell. It is right that Parliament debate it, but this is not the great step into 'playing God' portrayed by some.

Biomedical science now allows us to save thousands of families a life of cruel suffering. To refuse to do that we would need a very good reason. There isn't one.

LINKS:

| Professor Dame Sally Davies (Chief Medical Officer), Daily Telegraph op-ed: click here.