Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 8 May 2008 (WA 89–90), what information is provided to women who provide eggs that will be used in cloning research regarding the purposes of the research (as distinct from risks of ovarian hyperstimulation); whether specific consent is always obtained for that purpose; and whether the same information regarding the use to which donated cells may be put is always provided to those who donate tissue for research that may subsequently be used for cloning by nuclear transfer.
Answer
It is a requirement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) that consent be obtained from gamete (egg and sperm) or cell donors before their egg, sperm or other cell may be used to create an embryo. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) sets minimum standards in the licence conditions R19 and R20 within Guidance Note 22 of the Code of Practice (8th ed.) with regard to the information which must be provided prior to consent being given. Compliance is monitored as part of the HFEA's regular, ongoing monitoring of clinics. The Human Tissue Authority also sets out good practice in obtaining consent for the storage and use of human tissue for research purposes—including guidance on the provision of appropriate information—in its Code of Practice on Consent. The actual information provided to individuals donating eggs or cells for research purposes varies according to the individual research project concerned.