HL Deb 17 December 2001 vol 630 cc23-4WA
Lord Alton of Liverpool

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures they are taking to prevent commercial exploitation of human embryos by companies seeking to derive stem cell lines from them; and what consulation has taken place with the parents of these embryos before commercial exploitation and subsequent destruction occurs. [HL1937]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, an individual licence must be issued for each research project undertaken using fertilised embryos. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) must be satisfied before issuing the licence that the conditions in the 1990 Act are fully complied with. Additionally, the HFEA may impose conditions on any research licence relating to the use of embryos in that research and it must be satisfied that these will also be met.

The Chief Medical Officer's expert group report, Stem Cells: Medical Progress with Responsibility, recommended that individuals whose eggs or sperm are used to create embryos to be used in research should give specific consent, indicating whether the resulting embryos could be used in a research project to derive stem cells. The Government accepted the report's recommendations and have asked the HFEA to incorporate such a provision as a condition in relevant research licences.

Lord Alton of Liverpool

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any research applications have been received by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for embryonic stem research since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001 were passed in January 2001 and whether any licences have been issued. [HL1948]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Since January 2001 the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) has received five applications for human embryo research related to stem cells under the original research purposes in the 1990 Act and licences have been issued for four of these. Two applications for research under the HFE (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001 have been received which are both at present under consideration. Up to 15 November, no applications for research using human embryos created by cell nuclear replacement had been received by the HFEA.

Lord Alton of Liverpool

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the increased personnel and budgetary implications for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority following the passage of the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001. [HL1950]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is not responsible for the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001. To date the authority has received only two research applications under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001. The authority is able to handle these within existing resources. The authority's budget is subject to annual review and agreement with the Department of Health on the basis of all the authority's functions. Staffing arrangements are a matter for the authority.