Human Embryos (Hansard, 29 March 1996)

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the means by which the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects and records the creation and fate of human embryos and the reliability of any statistics produced by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. [23594]

§ Mr. Horam
Information about in vitro fertilisation treatment and donors is collected on forms prepared for the purpose by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and these are completed by licensed clinics. The HFEA also monitors the use of embryos in research. These arrangements are checked by the HFEA through validation of the forms and inspection of centres.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors led to the giving of incorrect figures to his office by the Human Fertiliszation and Embryology Authority for provision of answers to parliamentary questions on the number and fate of embryos created between 1991 and 1994. [23590]
783W

§ Mr. Horam
The mistakes were due to human error. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has assured me that there is no underlying problem with its database.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many embryos created before August 1991 were still in existence in August 1991; [23591]
(2) if he will give the number of embryos created before August 1991 used from that date until 1994 for (a) research, (b) treatment cycles and (c) freezing as well as the number of such embryos destroyed by 1994. [23592]

§ Mr. Horam
This information is not available.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many embryos frozen up to 1994 were subsequently used in(a) treatment cycles and (b) research up to 1994. [23593]

§ Mr. Horam
Between 1 August 1991 and 1994 inclusive the number of frozen embryos used in in vitro fertilisation treatment cycles was 22,019. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 March,Official Report, columns 422–23 which stated that the number of embryos donated for research in the same period was 27,524. This figure includes fresh and frozen embryos.