Embryos should not be treated as commodities
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) regulates UK fertility treatment and embryology research. They want laws regulating fertility treatment and research to have less strict inspections and be inspected less regularly. Given the ethical controversies surrounding fertility treatment and embryo experimentation, Christian Concern believes regular inspections should continue and not simply be based on an opinion about current risks. HFEA also wants to store embryos in a research bank so that they can be allocated to research projects when needed. But Christian Concern believes life is sacred from conception and should not be treated as a disposable commodity. The proposed clause opens a way to create embryos for eventual destruction without valuing human life. These are not pieces of biological matter, they are human beings made in the image of God. As Christians, we are called to care for the most vulnerable, those overlooked or manipulated by others.
'They ask for directions - we point them to Christ'
A group of Christians in Hampshire who took over the local tourist information office when it was in danger of being closed say it has become a valuable way of engaging people with faith. Their organiser said, ‘Tourist information centres everywhere are closing because everything is online. But older people prefer to go to a tourist information centre to pick up a leaflet etc. When we took the centre over from the council they were delighted. We open on reduced hours, giving out leaflets and selling books to pay the bills. It's now quite a ministry. People come in asking questions like where are the toilets, or when does the next bus go? Then they start coming up with issues that as Christians we feel qualified to signpost them in the right direction’.
Northern Ireland police endangered
A member of the public made a freedom of information (FoI) request to the police, ‘Could you provide the number of officers at each rank and number of staff at each grade?’ What they received was not only a numerical table but, inadvertently, a huge Excel spreadsheet called ‘the source data, which should never have been released for public scrutiny on an FoI website. It was removed after 2½ - 3 hours once police became aware of it. Each line contains information from the top of the force down - surname and first initial, their rank, grade, where they are based and the unit they work in; including sensitive areas of surveillance and intelligence. The sensitive information exposes many in nationalist communities who were taking great care to keep who they work for a secret, in some cases even from friends and family. The scale of this error is enormous; the consequences cannot be evaluated. It is probably the worst data breach in the organisation's history.
Continuing Healthcare breaking down
Despite recent increased spending on Continuing Healthcare, staff shortages and rising prices mean people with complex medical needs are lacking the help they need. Sometimes family members are so exhausted from providing continual care that they’re concerned over their relative’s safety. Declan is one of the 16,000 people needing Continuing Healthcare. He has severe, progressive muscle wasting and cannot move unassisted. He requires a ventilator to breathe and has chronic heart and respiratory failure. The care he needs to be able to live at his family home should be met by NHS’s Continuing Healthcare scheme that enables people with high complex needs to live outside of the hospital. Declan is entitled to 24/7 support by experienced care workers plus extra help mornings and bedtime. His mother has been asking for care overnight and during her working hours - but repeatedly faces shortfalls in meeting Declan’s needs.
