Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many human embryos have been created in each year since the commencement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; how many cloned human embryos have been created since 2001; and how they intend to report to Parliament on the number of animal human hybrid embryos created annually following the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.
Answer
The figures for the number of embryos created from the commencement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 until 2006 have been published by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in Table 25a of its document A long term analysis of the HFEA Register data (1991-2006). The document has been placed in the Library and can be found at www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/HFEA_long_term_data_91-06_version1_revision4.pdf. The HFEA has informed me that the number of embryos created in 2007 was 215,366. The HFEA does not, routinely, require research centres to submit data on the number of embryos created during research projects for collection on its register. Research centres provide this information as part of regular progress reports to the authority on each licensed research project. The creation and use of human admixed embryos (hybrid embryos) will also be monitored in this way.