Nick Clegg: We should consider allowing gay couples to pay surrogates

Nick Clegg has suggested that he would consider new laws allowing childless couples to pay women to be surrogate mothers.

The deputy prime minister said Britain should learn from controversial laws in California where commercial surrogacy deals have been legalised.

Speaking to the PinkNews website, he said it could help same-sex couples yearning to start a family. “Families come in all different shapes and sizes – and there will almost certainly be more and more gay couples considering adoption or surrogacy in the future.

“It’s great that so many gay couples are looking to start a family, and government should support these couples as much as possible.

“I agree this is an area that needs further investigation. We should be learning from the experience of couples who have used surrogacy, and looking at how full legalisation has worked in places like California.”

British laws currently prevent anyone from paying a woman to have their baby or drawing up a binding contract with a surrogate.