§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 12 November 2001 (WA 57), 88WA whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has issued a licence authorising Geron Biomed to derive its own human embryonic stem cell lines in the United Kingdom; whether Geron Biomed has disclosed its source of human embryos and gametes for this research; and whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to collect information on the use of stem cells, in particular their exploitation for commercial purposes. [HL2543]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathNo such licence has been issued. All research using embryos in this country would need to be approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the HFEA would require the applicant to disclose the proposed source of the embryos. Anad hoc Select Committee of the House of Lords is currently examining stem cell research and the Government will consider its recommendations when they are published.