Embryology
House of Lords
Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisions there are in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) for keeping and examining human admixed embryos in connection with the investigation of, or proceedings for, an offence under that Act.
Lord Darzi of Denham (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; Labour)
Human admixed embryos must be held at a licensed centre if they are being kept, examined or stored in connection with the investigation of, or proceedings for, an offence under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008).
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Special Exemption) Regulations 2009 do not permit human admixed embryos to be held at unlicensed premises in connection with such an investigation or procedure—as this was, unintentionally, not provided for in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. If it were necessary for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to keep a human admixed embryo in connection with a crime, it would need to be stored at licensed premises.