To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to paragraphs 2.8, 2.9 and 3.17 of the minutes of 9 March 2017 of the Licence Committee of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, regarding the follow-up of children born following pronuclear transfer between embryos, who is responsible for the follow-up programme in NHS England; what health, genetic and epigenetic parameters are to be measured; what assessment they have made of the potential for long-term medical problems to only become evident after five years of age; whether they intend to conduct follow-ups beyond five years of age; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the full documented processes that are in place setting out how follow-ups will be carried out.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that the guidance on the follow up of any children born following mitochondrial donation is set out in paragraph 33.33 in Guidance Note 33 of the Authority’s code of practice. This requires the centre to have a documented process setting out how children born from mitochondrial donation will be followed up, where the patients have consented to follow-up. These should include long-term medical follow-up of the children born. A copy of Guidance Note 33 is attached.

NHS England has agreed funding of £8 million over five years for an evaluative commissioning programme of mitochondrial donation, working closely with the partner organisations such as the Wellcome Trust.