Embryology

House of Lords written question – answered at on 8 January 2013.

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Photo of Lord Alton of Liverpool Lord Alton of Liverpool Crossbench

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 20 July 2011 (WA 305-6), how many cybrid embryos have been generated with eggs from non-human species in total according to records held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA); and how many other classes of "admixed human" embryos have been generated.

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 20 July 2011 (WA 306) and by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 7 November 2002 (WA 145), whether they now collect data on how many human embryos have been (1) created, (2) frozen, (3) destroyed, (4) implanted, and (5) experimented upon, since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; if so, what are those figures; and, if not, whether they will instruct the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to refine their collection of data so that it provides full disclosure under each of those categories.

Photo of Earl Howe Earl Howe The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has no further information to add to that provided in the Answer I gave the noble Lord about human admixed embryos on 20 July 2011 (Hansard, cols. WA 305-6).

The HFEA has also advised that the data it holds in relation to human embryos that have been created, frozen, destroyed and implanted are set out in the following table. It does not hold data in relation to embryos experimented upon.

The HFEA has an obligation to collect information as required by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. It is for the authority itself to determine what further information it considers appropriate to collect.

HFEA Human Embryo Data-Cycles from 1 August 1991 to 31 December 2011
Embryos Frozen Embryos Discarded Implanted
Embryos created Embryos stored for the patients use Embryos stored for donation Embryos stored for research Embryos reported on the Treatment form as being discarded Embryos reported on the Gamete Movement form as being removed from storage and discarded Embryos transferred Gestational sacs observed
3,546,818 839,325 2,071 5,876 1,691,090 23,480 1,388,443 235,480

Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

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