§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they plan to commission an independent review of the work of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the light of, among other things, the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee earlier this year and the disclosures in the Sunday Telegraph on 10 November by embryologist Dr Sammy Lee. [HL206]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThere are no plans at present to commission an independent review of the work of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). However, the Government believe it is essential that the HFEA is a strong and effective regulator and recognise that the authority faces an increasingly difficult task as greater numbers of people undergo fertility treatment and the available technology develops rapidly. The safety of patients and quality assurance of the treatment they receive must not be compromised by these challenges.
The Government have therefore announced, in their response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee report Developments in Human Genetics and Embryology published on Monday 25 November 2002, that they are supporting the authority to introduce a range of measures that will bolster the authority's regulatory procedures. These will provide greater quality assurance for patients undergoing fertility treatment. In order to introduce these measures, the authority's annual funding will increase from just over £2 million to £5.5 million.