§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider that a potential conflict of interest arises so long as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is responsible for both the awarding of licences to clinics and the generation of income for itself by charging fees to IVF clinics holding licences. [HL5507]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathIt is Government policy that services should bear the cost of regulation and that charges should be set at a level to recover the full cost. We do not believe that the charging of fees to licensed clinics by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority causes a conflict of interest for them, since the fees generated should only cover the actual costs of the work involved.