Surrogacy laws need more work: WA govt

Work needs to be done at a national level to improve surrogacy laws, the West Australian Health Minister says.

The state's Health Department has completed a review of the 2008 Surrogacy Act, which allows altruistic surrogacy but prohibits it for financial or material reward.

Kim Hames has endorsed the recommendations of the review, which include referring the document to the Council of Australian Governments to enable a co-ordinated national approach and legislation for surrogacy.

The department also backed an Australian Law Reform Commission proposal to conduct an inquiry into international surrogacy, and called for the development of better information and resources to improve public understanding of the laws.

It also supported administrative changes to allow for more timely approvals and provision of artificial in vitro fertilisation procedures, and a further review of the act in five years.

"The surrogacy act generally provides a robust framework for the regulation of surrogacy but more work is required at a national level on national and international surrogacy arrangements," Dr Hames said.

He noted the Commonwealth will fund a new federal service that will work with existing state services to assist families and adoptees.