Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of the oral evidence given to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee by the chief executive of the Medical Research Council on 5 February 2007 (HC 272–1 (Q249)), expressing doubt about support for the use of human oocytes for somatic nuclear transfer due to the virtually zero success rate, they will account for the use of public funds by the Medical Research Council for this purpose as described in its press release on 13 September.
Answer
The Medical Research Council (MRC) supports research into somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) with the aim of identifying potential benefits and improving efficiency. To this end, it has funded research at the University of Newcastle, as follows:
| Title | Cost (£) |
| Improving the efficiency of human somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) | 470,000 |
| An investigation of the experiences of potential in vitro fertilisation (IVF) donors in egg sharing for SCNT | 290,000 |