Ms Rachel Rowley-Smith:

I thank the committee for letting me speak to it and share my experiences, and, hopefully, answer any questions members may have. Members are all aware that I have a very young baby with me and his presence is acknowledged and accepted. I thank the committee and apologise in advance if he does interject in any way.

In 1987, I was born via traditional surrogacy. I was formally adopted by both parents in 1996. I have a birth mother, a mum and a dad, who is my biological father. Surrogacy in the 1980s in the UK was very new and therefore quite controversial, so the process was shrouded in secrecy. The Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985 was rushed through parliament as a reaction to the Baby Cotton case. I was born only two years later, and, obviously, only conceived just over a year after the arrangements Act. So much so, I only discovered how I came in to this world three years ago. I am in touch with my birth mother, and my mum and dad have been very open with me since the discovery and have never hidden anything. They have always answered any questions they can. I am happy to go into further detail in regard to this late discovery if required.

I never really knew much about surrogacy. I had heard about it in the context of same-sex couples having a baby, but never really in the case of a heterosexual couple in the UK, and not at all for overseas. During my discovery, I learned that my mum, who raised me, could not have children of her own because she went through the menopause in her late 30s. After 25 years of trying, my parents were so desperate to have a family of their own they were willing to try anything. One night, my mum was watching TV and saw a segment on the Kim Cotton surrogacy story, which then helped her discover the amazing service of surrogacy and that her dreams were not dead. She contacted the agency, and my parents journey began. My view on surrogacy is that surrogate mothers, be it traditional or gestational, are incredible beings. Being that selfless to help bring life into the world to fulfil dreams is amazing. It is wonderful that there is another way to grow a family. The parents of a surrogate baby are incredible also, as their journey is not free from stress either. I fully support international surrogacy when domestic has not been an option, due to various reasons such as lack of accessible information, support or legislation. I believe that legislation is crucial to protect all parties involved for both domestic and international surrogacy, including the child born as a result of the process. There are may be potential parents out there with their mental health suffering, as they think their dreams are over, and who do not know that this option is open to them, and that they can have a family. It is important to note that surrogacy should only take place when all parties are consenting.

Establishing legal parenthood for those children already born through domestic and international surrogacy is critical. Due to a lack of this when I was born, it took six long years for my parents to adopt me. The stress was palpable on my parents and also on my birth mother as well. When this does not mean full legal parenthood, it is essential that this is addressed and that there is an easy way to understand the process and information. Support must be readily available to avoid any future complications. The lengths my parents went to in order to have a child outweigh the lengths involved in terms of how a lot of other children are brought into this world. I am so lucky to have been so wanted and born into such a safe and happy home with parents who loved me. I only wish that others were as lucky as me. Why should surrogacy be so scandalous? These children are so wanted that parents will go to such lengths to have them. How lucky am I? I have two parents who raised me, a birth mother, and four half-siblings.