Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 22 July 2008 (WA 243–5) and 20 May (WA 317–18), how many embryonic stem cell lines from outgrowing embryos have been deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank by each of (a) Guy's Hospital, (b) Oxford Fertility Centre, and (c) Roslin Cells Limited; and, if no embryonic stem cell lines have been thus derived since the issue was raised in 2006, how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has assessed the validity of a licence to culture embryos for more than 14 days.
Answer
Information on the number of embryonic stem cell lines from outgrown embryos is not held centrally. I am informed that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) does not hold data on the number of stem cell lines from HFEA licensed research projects deposited in the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 provides that no licence may permit the culture of a "live human embryo" beyond 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak (whichever comes first), and no licence does.