§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos have to date been licensed for creation and storage by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; in how many of those cases the period of maximum storage for which consent was given was less than five years; in how many of those cases in which the authorised storage period has passed the embryos have been(a) implanted, (b) destroyed, (c) used for research purposes and (d) experienced other outcomes; and if he will make a statement on the action the authority takes to ensure that maximum storage periods are not exceeded and that embryos which reach the end of the authorised storage period die in a manner consistent with their status. [19654]
§ Mr. HoramThe records of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that the number of embryos created in IVF treatment in the period 1 August 1991 to 1994 inclusive—latest available figures—was422W 302,156. Of these, the number of embryos placed in store during the same period was 64,161. Information on the number of people who consented to a storage period of fewer than five years and the purpose for which consent was given is not held centrally. This information is contained on the consent forms which are held by patients and the licensed centres.
The HFEA's code of practice sets out the action necessary in licensed centres to sustain appropriate standards in the storage of embryos. Copies of the code of practice are available in the Library. Licensed centres are held to account for compliance with the code of practice when the HFEA carried out its annual inspection of centres.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 4 March,Official Report, column 67, how many live babies were born from the human embryos frozen between 1991 and 1994; and what percentage of the number of embryos frozen this represents. [20385]
§ Mr. HoramThe number of embryos used in treatment cycles during the period 1 August 1991 to 1994 inclusive includes embryos frozen prior to 1991. The number of babies born from frozen embryos during the period 1 August 1991 to 1994 inclusive was 1,339.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women had embryos implanted from 1991 to 1994 under the terms of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and how much was paid in fees for treatment by these women over the same period. [20386]
§ Mr. HoramThe number of women who had embryos transferred to the uterus in the period 1 August 1991 to 1994 inclusive was 36,867. The Department of Health does not collect information about fees paid for treatment.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos have been frozen in each year since the practice was first sanctioned by law. [18317]
§ Mr. Horam[pursuant to his reply, 4 March 1996, c. 67]: I regret that there was an error in the information provided. The correct reply should read as follows.
As recorded in the records of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the number of embryos placed in store following in-vitro fertilisation treatment in each year was as follows:
- 1991: 4,969 (from 1 August)
- 1992: 15,940
- 1993: 19,756
- 1994: 23,496
Data for 1995 have not yet been validated.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many frozen human embryos have been experimented on and then destroyed since the practice was first sanctioned by law; [18318]
(2) how many unfrozen human embryos have been experimented on and then destroyed since the practice was first sanctioned by law. [18319]
423W
§ Mr. Horam[pursuant to his reply, 4 March 1996, c. 67]: I regret that there were two errors in the information provided.
The total number of embryos created in in-vitro fertilisation treatment from 1 August 1991 to 1994 inclusive was 302,156, not 498,493. Of these, the number donated for research during the same period was 27,524, not 27,493, as previously stated.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos were used in treatment cycles from 1991 to 1994. [19787]
§ Mr. Horam[pursuant to his reply, 8 March 1996, c. 386]: I regret that there was an error in the information provided.
As recorded in the records of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the number of embryos used in treatment cycles between 1 August 1991 and 1994 inclusive was 139,973, not 140,410, as stated previously. This includes fresh and frozen embryos.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos were destroyed between 1991 and 1994 at the request of their parents. [19788]
§ Mr. Horam[pursuant to his reply, 8 March 1996, c. 386]: I regret that there was an error in the information provided.
The number of embryos created in in-vitro fertilisation treatment that were not frozen or used for treatment or for other purposes during the period in question was 90,491, not 90,756 as stated previously. As required by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, decisions about these embryos would have been taken only with the consent of the couple involved.