Contraversial first surrogacy hit headlines - June 20, 2004

KIM Cotton was paid Ł6,500 in 1985 as Britain’s first commercial surrogate mother. On the day she gave birth to a baby girl, Ms Cotton was forced to leave the child in the care of hospital staff after a court order was placed on her. Although surrogacy was not illegal in Britain, it was unlawful to receive money beyond "reasonable expenses".

Ms Cotton set up COTS (Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy) to help childless couples in the UK, and it is estimated that there have been more than 500 surrogate births in the UK since 1985.

There are two types of surrogacy - straight and host. Straight uses the egg of a surrogate mother and sperm of a father, which is artificially inseminated. The surrogate mother gives up her own biological child.

A host uses the eggs of the intended mother with her partner’s sperm. The chances of success are lower, but the surrogate mother is not biologically linked to the child she is carrying. It can cost Ł3,000 per cycle, plus Ł200 for counselling, as well as the surrogate’s expenses. These expenses can range from Ł4,000-Ł10,000.

There are concerns about the lack of legal sanctions surrounding surrogacy. Although the mother who gives birth to the child is the legal guardian after the birth, it is reasonably straightforward for a child’s biological father to apply for a parental order after the baby is born.

In Scotland, surrogate mothers who are married are not even legally required to enter their husband’s name on the birth certificate, as they have to do in England.

The Moira Greenslade case has prompted further scrutiny of surrogacy.