1978                 
The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in Bristol at the Oldham and District General Hospital in 1978 but it was some 12 years before any proper regulation of this new field of human reproduction was put in place.

1990             
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act was passed to regulate the creation, keeping and use of embryos outside the human body as well as the storage of eggs and sperm for assisted reproduction.

1991            
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) was established in 1991 to regulate the creation of embryos outside the human body and the storage or use of embryos, eggs and sperm.

1994             
Legislation in the form of the Parental Orders (Human Fertilisation and Embryology) Regulations 1994 allowed 'parental orders' to be made for the non-carrying partner in egg or sperm implantation so they would be regarded as the legitimate father of the child.

2001            
Legislation was passed to allow the creation of 'cloned' embryos for stem cell derivation.

2003             
Legislation (the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Deceased Fathers) Act 2003) allowed deceased fathers of a child conceived after his death (but using sperm donated before his death) to be registered on the child's birth certificate. This was as a result of a long campaign by Diane Blood.  The father’s consent for his sperm to be used must have been given in writing before his death. The registration also does not give the child any legal status or rights against the father or his estate.

2004             
Legislation in the form of  the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004 allowed a child born by donated sperm eggs or embryos to obtain certain information about the donor. The information that the child is entitled to as of right is information about the donor's sex, height, weight, ethnic group (including the donors parents ethnic group), whether the donor was adopted, eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, religion, occupation, interests and skills and why they decided to become a donor, their year of birth, country of birth, marital status and the sex and number of any children that the donor has. The child is entitled to this information when they reach 18. From April 2005 any information which donors supply about their actual identity can also be disclosed if specifically requested by the child and this includes the donors name, date of birth and address.

2007             
The EU Tissue Directive led to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Quality and Safety) Regulations 2007 which provided that licences must also be obtained for non-medical fertility services. This was directed at internet based businesses that arrange for donated sperm to be delivered to women at home for self-insemination. 

2008
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008

Set out below are some of the major changes which were made to the law in this area:
 

• Certain types of embryos which contain both human and animal DNA (known as “human admixed embryos”) are permitted for medical research but a licence is needed to create such embryos. 

• Increases the maximum storage time for embryos to a ten year limit (without any conditions). This brings it into line with the storage of donated eggs and sperm.

• Sex selection (selecting embryos to implant on the basis of their sex) is permitted but only for medical reasons and only for conditions which are linked to sex chromosomes such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or where there is a strong family history of breast cancer. 

• The Act removes any doubt about whether fertility treatment can be offered to same sex couples and single women. The new law allows lesbians and single women to receive treatment. 

• The previous law required that when offering fertility treatment clinics should give consideration to “the need of that child for a father”. The Act changed this emphasise to considering the child’s need for “supportive parents”. 

• Any woman receiving treatment must be given a suitable opportunity to receive counselling as must her partner and this must be offered before treatment and they must also be given relevant information which must include (in the case of couples using donated eggs or sperm) the importance of informing any child born that they were donor conceived and doing this at the earliest opportunity. The information will give details of ways to inform the child.

• Under the previous law a couple seeking treatment had to consent to the storage of embryos or use of donated sperm or eggs. The Act introduced a “cooling off period” where one of the parties (e.g. partner or donor) withdraws their consent. The embryo will continue to be stored and will not be destroyed for a year. This allows the parties to try to reach a private resolution to the conflict. This cooling off period also applies to single women seeking fertility treatment where the donor withdraws consent.

• Under the new law in order for a man to be regarded as the father at the time the woman is artificially inseminated, the couple must have given notices of consent to the clinic to him being treated as the father and neither must have withdrawn their consent and the woman must not have served a cross notice consenting to another man being named as the father. However after transfer of the embryo neither the man nor the woman can withdraw consent. However if the woman does not conceive and a new cycle of treatment begins consent can be withdrawn to the man being treated as the father for the new cycle.

• The law has changed so that where a female who is in a civil partnership gives birth to a child by assisted reproduction (anywhere in the world) and using a clinic, she will be the mother of the child and her partner will be regarded as the other parent (unless she did not consent to the treatment). The partner will also automatically have parental responsibility. For same sex females who are not in a civil partnership the other partner will be regarded as the parent if treatment was in a UK licensed clinic and the couple signed notices of consent to the other partner being treated as a parent (before transfer of the embryo). However the other partner will need to obtain parental responsibility by either being named on the birth certificate, entering into a signed parental agreement with her partner or applying for a court order. 

• Civil partners, unmarried couples and same sex couples who are not in a civil partnership can apply to the court for a parental order formally recognising them as the legal parents. Previously only married couples could apply.

• Under the previous law a donor conceived person could apply for information about the identity of the donor. The Act now allows this information to be requested from the age of 16 instead of 18. However this only applies to non-identifying information (e.g. sex of the donor, hair colour etc) Any identifying information can only be obtained from age 18.

• A donor conceived person is also allowed to apply for information about the number, sex and year of birth of any half siblings also conceived using donated eggs or sperm. This information can be obtained from age 16.

• A donor conceived person is also allowed to find out whether they are related to someone they propose to marry, enter a civil partnership or a relationship with. However their partner will also need to give consent to the release of this information. There is no age limit connected to requesting this information.

• The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has new powers to inform a donor that a donor-conceived person has requested information about him/her.

• Donors themselves are now allowed to request information about the number, sex and year of birth of children born as a result of their donated sperm/eggs.