'Three people, one baby' debate

A public consultation has been launched to discuss the ethics of using three people to create one baby.

The technique could be used to prevent debilitating and fatal 'mitochondrial' diseases, which are passed down only from mother to child.

However, the resulting baby would contain genetic information from three people, two parents and a donor woman.

Ministers could change the law to make the technique legal after the results of the consultation are known.

The Chair of the HFEA, Prof Lisa Jardine, said the technique raised many issues for society.