§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidance they give to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority concerning the status of embryonic stem cells and their understanding of the point at which a human embryo ceases to be a human embryo and, for the purpose of regulation, can be regarded as stem cells; and what advice the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority gives to clinics on this matter. [HL1946]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)It is the responsibility of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to consider each application for a research licence to extract stern cells from fertilised embryos on its individual merits. In doing so it will ensure that the application complies with the requirement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 that research workers wishing to work on cells or groups of cells derived from an embryo should separate them out either chemically or physically from the embryo within 14 days of its creation.