Anti-abortion NGO Gift of Life has reiterated its appeal for pro-life MPs to reject the “deeply unethical practice” of embryo freezing as part of IVF treatment.

“Gift of Life rejects any proposal which includes any form of regular embryo freezing. The human person can never be considered to have less value and thus relegated to a level of a commodity and a means to an end,” the organisation said, pointing out that freezing the female egg has now removed the need for freezing embryos.

“In their attempt at fertilising eggs, they should not create a situation where they may need to freeze extra embryos by fertilising more than the suggested two embryos being proposed. A situation of building up stockpiles of unclaimed frozen embryos must be avoided.”

On the other end of the scale, Alternattiva Demoktratika said it was “scandalous” that the government put IVF legislation on the backburner for so long, especially after consensus was reached in Parliament.

“Depicting IVF as some form of ‘evil’ is unfair and uncalled for,” AD said, in response to Gozo Bishop Mario Grech’s recent statement that IVF treatment was “highly abortive” and contributed to a culture of death.

“It is also strange that after years and years on end of lack of legislation regulating this sector, IVF suddenly becomes objectionable only now. As usual government is neither here nor there, and prefers sitting on the fence on this issue,” AD said.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry said the Bill was being finalised and would be presented to Parliament “shortly”, following discussion by Cabinet and the PN parliamentary group.

A spokesman refuted Labour’s claim that the Bill was “gathering dust” since it had not been concluded.

“The bill will set the parameters within which Assisted Reproductive Techniques may be practised in Malta,” the spokesman said, refusing to give further details, such as whether it would permit the freezing of embryos.