PET's director Sarah Norcross appeared on BBC Radio 4's flagship Today programme to discuss a new sperm sorting technique developed in the US which allows people having IVF to choose the sex of their baby.
'It would be illegal here, not because the science isn't up to it, but because that's what was decided in parliament,' she told presenter Justin Webb.
Sarah explained findings from PET's Ipsos survey 'Fertility, Genomics and Embryo Research: Public Attitudes and Understanding', which showed that 57 percent of the UK public opposed legalising sex selection for non-medical reasons, and only 28 percent would support it. However, among 16- to 24-year-olds, half supported allowing families to choose the sex of their child.