§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what specific types of research are being carried out at the Royal Marsden hospital involving the use of foetal tissue or with such material supplied by that hospital's foetal tissue bank to other research centres in the United Kingdom or overseas; whether reports on such research are made to the Medical Research Council and to him; and if he will make a statement;
(2) whether any research is taking place involving the use of live pre-viable foetuses weighing less than 300 grammes as recommended in 1972 by the Department of Health and Social Security Advisory Group on the use of foetua and foetal material for research has taken or is taking place at the Royal Marsden hospital; if any such material has been supplied by that hospital's foetal tissue bank to other research establishments in the United Kingdom or overseas; and whether the results are reported to the Medical Research Council and to him;
(3) what are the sources of foetal material supplied to the Royal Marsden hospital and stored at its foetal tissue bank; whether these include abortion clinics; and what control his Department has over the establishments conducting research which involves the use of such material.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand that the foetal tissue bank at the Royal Marsden hospital supplies material for research projects in the fields of virology, immunology, biochemistry, oncology and molecular biology. The research being carried out by the bank itself is on the genetic origins of hydatidiform moles. Foetal material from the bank is supplied only to research centres in the United Kingdom and not to overseas establishments. All establishments using such material must obtain prior approval from their local ethical committee, and the Department has no locus in this.
I understand that no research on live pre-viable foetuses is being undertaken by the foetal tissue bank and that no live pre-viable foetal material is supplied to any centre. The foetal material supplied to the bank comes from NHS hospitals and private nursing homes.
It is a condition of MRC funding for the bank that periodic reports of its activities are reviewed by the council. There is no requirement for the council or for researchers to submit reports on individual research projects to my right hon. Friend. Under the provisions of the Science and Technology Act 1965 the council submits 422W an annual report on its activities to my right hon. Friend, which he in turn lays before both Houses. The most recent annual report of the council is that for 1982–83, a copy of which is in the Library.