§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many responses have been received by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the sixth edition of their code of practice; and how many were from(a) individual patients, (b) clinics and (c) professional bodies; [131310]
1309W(2) when the sixth edition of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's code of practice will be implemented. [131311]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has informed me that 59 responses were received to the consultation exercise on the sixth edition of its code of practice. Of these, three were from the public including patients, 22 were from clinics and 24 from professional and patient bodies.
The HFEA is aiming to publish the new edition before the end of the year. It will be implemented immediately on publication.
§ Jim DobbinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos have been created specifically for the purposes of research since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and how many such human embryos have been created by(a) fertilisation and (b) other processes. [129026]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has informed me that since August 1991, when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 came in to force, approximately 311 human embryos have been created for use in licensed research projects—257 between 1991 and 1997 and 54 since 1998. All of the embryos were created by fertilisation.