‘What matters is how families live their lives’

David Lee and Gaynor Allen have four children, as well as two dogs, and say their life is often noisy, stressful and chaotic, but also a lot of fun.

Mr Lee, a freelance journalist, said it’s “easy for Professor Wilmut to play the numbers game on a global scale”.

“Surely it’s not about large families per se, but about how families – large and small – live their lives,” he said.

Mr Lee said each of his children is very different and they do their best to bring them up “responsibly”.

“That includes giving them a basic understanding of environmental issues on a global and local scale,” he said.

He thinks schoolchildren today have a good knowledge of the world around them through the curriculum, but he thinks unless it is reinforced at home this can be “left at the school gate”.

“That doesn’t mean living some perfect eco-lifestyle, but it does mean growing as much of our own fruit and veg as possible and composting everything we can,” said Mr Lee. He said they do their bit to help the planet by also trying to use public transport or walking when possible, and despite their large family they only have one car.

“Four children who are brought up with a respect for and an understanding of the world will have less impact upon that world than two children who don’t give a monkey’s,” he added.