Vote: The legislation was accused of undermining the importance of a father in the family

Fathers were last night effectively declared an irrelevance in modern Britain.

The requirement for fertility doctors to consider a child's need for a male role model before giving women IVF treatment was scrapped by MPs.

In a free vote, they swept away the rule despite impassioned pleas that the Government plan would "drive another nail into the coffin of the traditional family".

Labour rebels said it would send entirely the wrong signal to society as Britain faces a crisis in responsible parenting. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, had warned it would remove the father from the heart of the family.

He accused the Government of putting the interests of "consumers" who want to become parents before the welfare of children. But in the Commons, ministers won support for the legislation.

Voting was 292 to 217, a majority of 75. In a second vote, a Tory attempt to underline the need for a father or "male role model" was rejected by 290 votes to 222, a majority of 68.

Three senior Conservatives  -  Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, Cabinet Office spokesman Francis Maude and justice spokesman Nick Herbert, who is openly gay  - were the only members of the shadow Cabinet to back the Government.

Mr Osborne's vote will cause most surprise, since it reveals a split with party leader David Cameron on the issue.

Three Cabinet ministers  -  Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy  -  voted against the Government.

It emerged later that Mr Burnham, a rare champion of marriage on the Labour front bench, felt so strongly that he scrapped a visit to the Cannes film festival to be in the Commons.

Mr Cameron also voted for keeping the "father" requirement, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg were against.

The Government argued that the law as it stood discriminated against single women and lesbian couples  -  although both these groups can already get fertility treatment on the Health Service. From now on, doctors will have to consider only a child's need for "supportive parenting".

The legislation will also allow two women both to be registered formally as a child's "mother" on birth certificates.

Warning: The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said the move would remove the father from the heart of the family

In a highly-charged three-hour debate, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who led the revolt against the plans, said it was essential to recognise the importance to a developing child of a father figure.

"Taking it away will be as though we are saying that this is not an issue, that fathers are not important," he added.

The Government's emphasis on "supportive parenting" sends a message to society that "fathers are less important than mothers", he warned.

Mr Duncan Smith said there is clear evidence that children growing up without fathers are more likely to fail in school, develop drug addiction and alcohol problems.

"This is common sense," he insisted. "All we are saying is, 'Take consideration of the need of a child for a father', not, "If you don't have a father you will never get treatment".'

Labour rebel Geraldine Smith said there was no evidence that any lesbian or single women had been denied IVF treatment because of the 'need for a father' clause.

The Morecambe MP added: "I can't see what harm is being done by saying to a lesbian couple or a single woman going for IVF, 'Can you consider the need for a father or a potential father figure?' It may be a grandfather. It may be a relative.

"Even having that discussion must do some good. This is about common sense and what is in the best interests of the child and, yes, fathers do have a role to play.

"Is there any wonder people think politicians are out of touch with ordinary people when we have debates such as this?"

Iris Robinson, of the Democratic Unionist Party, claimed the Government was "airbrushing out" the role of fathers. Some MPs wanted to "facilitate immorality" and put lesbians' rights above everyone else, she added. "I stand by my faith and I stand by the word of God that says Man was created in the image of God and woman was created from the rib of Adam," she told the House.

"She became the helpmate and the companion of Man. It is the natural progression of procreation.

"The word of God says procreation is through a man and a woman and we are moving mountains to facilitate immorality and bringing in the rights of lesbians above all others in this country. It is a shame and you ought to hang your heads in shame."

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'Sorry love, Unwanted fathers go in the yellow bags.'

Labour MP Emily Thornberry, defending the Government's plans, said: "It's wrong to make judgments about families and tell one family they are normal and another family that they are abnormal. It is wrong to vilify single parents. It is wrong to discriminate against lesbian couples."

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo insisted that blocking the Government's plans would have posed "a practical impediment" to lesbians and single women obtaining treatment.

She said the legislation was not intended to "send a wider message to the whole population about family structures".

Polls have found that eight out of ten people believe a child has a right to two parents and that six out of ten believe that a child should have male and female parents.

Critics accuse Labour of a systematic attempt to undermine traditional family roles. It has removed the terms "husband", "wife" and "spouse" from a wide range of official forms, and replaced them with the word "partner".

This week, the party's deputy leader Harriet Harman was criticised after insisting ministers would not promote marriage. She said higher rates of family separation were a "positive" because they suggested people had "greater choice".