§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been accepted as sperm donors in each of the last 10 years; what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of the right to anonymity on the numbers of people coming forward as sperm donors; and what plans his Department has to assess the impact of a change in the number of sperm donors on childless couples. [152925]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested on the number of sperm donors recruited in each of the last 10 years is shown in the table.
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Sperm donors recruited in the UK each year: 1 April 1994 to 31 March 20031 Sperm donors recruited1 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995 437 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996 403 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 424 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 316 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 271 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 316 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 248 1 April 2001 to 31 March 20022 272 1 April 2002 to 31 March 20032 222 1 Figures represent the number of new donors recorded on the HFEA's register in each of the years. 2 Provisional figures only. Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) The Government believe that the need of young people to know about their genetic origins is of the highest importance. For that reason we announced our intention to introduce regulations to remove anonymity for all people donating gametes from 1 April 2005.
We recognise that there is a demand for infertility treatment using donated gametes, although this demand has decreased over recent years through the development of intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
As I said in my speech to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's annual conference on 21 January 2004, the decision about donor anonymity will most probably lead to an initial drop in donor numbers. Indications from other countries that have removed donor anonymity are that the initial drop is followed by a climb in donor numbers. To help increase public awareness we will support a public campaign and fund a national helpline for people who are interested in donating. The helpline will give information about donation and provide callers with a list of clinics so that they can decide which clinic is most convenient for them. Although the support we will provide will not do the actual recruitment for clinics, our intention is that it will raise awareness, create interest and provide essential information among those who may be eligible to donate.