Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 232–33) and (WA 235), what treatment offered to a patient would be considered the most suitable available to satisfy the needs of the recipient with regard to egg sharing for research; and to what extent the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has ensured that those providing such treatment services are not engaged in the relevant research.
Answer
Decisions on what treatment should be offered to a patient in these circumstances are matters of clinical judgment, to be decided on a case by case basis. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's Code of Practice stipulates that where donated material is used for research, the licensed centre shall ensure that clinical and research roles are separated, so that individuals involved in advising patients regarding clinical decisions about their treatment are not involved in the research project to which patients are considering donating eggs.