HC Deb 09 January 1985 vol 70 cc433-4W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list all those individuals or establishments which are currently in receipt of Government funding for research into the effects of the freezing of human embryos; how much money each received in the current year; and for what precise purpose the funds were used;

(2) how much money has been spent by the Government on research into the effect of the freezing of human embryos in each of the years since such funding commenced.

Mr. Brooke

The Medical Research Council, which is the Government's main agency for the support of biomedical research, is not supporting any research specifically into the effects of freezing human embryos.

spent by the Government on research into techniques of in vitro fertilisation for humans in each of the years since such funding commenced; and what proportion of Government spending on research into infertility this figure represents for each of those years;

(2) if he will list all those individuals or establishments which are currently in receipt of Government funding for research into in vitro fertilisation techniques for humans; how much money each received in the current year; and for what precise purpose the funds were used.

Mr. Brooke

The Medical Research Council, which is the Government's main agency for the funding of biomedical research, supports work at its MRC reproductive biology unit in Edinburgh relevant to the development of clinical in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The unit is studying the chromosomes of ova fertilized in vitro to determine their normality, methods to promote the development of ova within the ovary and the requirements for successful implantation following IVF. The council also provides or has provided project grant support to the departments of obstetrics and gynaecology at Cambridge university and at King's College hospital medical school, London, for work on the fertility of spermatozoa. The costs relevant to the development of clinical in vitro fertilisation have been: