§ Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will publish its code of practice.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has today published a consultation document containing its proposals for the code of practice. Comments and suggestions have been invited from an extensive range of interested organisations and from treatment and research centres which are to be regulated.
Once the consultation exercise is complete, the authority will prepare a further draft of the code. In accordance with section 26 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, this will then be subject to approval by the Secretary of State before it is laid before Parliament.