Clause 12
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
5:30 pm
Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour)
I was looking for clause 11, Mr. Gale—it has been rather a long afternoon already.
During the passage of the Bill through another place, a debate took place on the use of embryonic stem cells derived under research licences in therapeutic applications. The Government subsequently wrote to all peers involved in that debate setting out how, in the Government’s view, embryonic stem cells derived under an HFEA research licence could be used in therapeutic applications. The amendments are consequential to the Government’s taking that view in another place. They will ensure that research centres deriving embryonic stem cells that are intended for therapeutic use are required to abide by the quality and safety standards set out in the European tissues and cells directive, in relation to stem cells and the embryos from which they are derived.
The directive lays down standards of quality and safety for human tissues and cells intended for human application, including gametes and embryos. The relevant requirements already apply to embryos used in reproductive treatment under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Quality and Safety) Regulations 2007. Stem cells derived from embryos are also regulated under the Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) Regulations 2007. It is important that those standards are applied also to the embryos used to derive stem cells in human applications in order to ensure the necessary levels of quality and safety of tissues to be used in treatment.
I commend the amendments to the Committee.