§ Dr. TwinnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the report of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the statutory storage period for embryos; and will he make a statement. [7544]
§ Mr. DorrellI have today published the report from the authority.
I thank the authority for this helpful and thoughtful review of problems arising from the current five-year limit on the storage of embryos. The authority recommends that regulations should be brought forward to allow for embryo storage up to 10 years and exceptionally for longer, where this is justified on medical or social grounds.
The Government intend to lay regulations which will give effect to the authority's recommendation. These regulations will allow those whose embryos will have been in store for five years or more by July 1996 to be consulted and counselled about extending the storage period for their embryos, before the five-year period expires.
Copies of the authority's report have been placed in the Library.