Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 27 October (WA 124), why the Answer stated that a total figure of only 36 human oocytes were used between 11 August 2004 and 3 July 2005 under research licence R0152 when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority indicated in response to a Freedom of Information request (F-2005-00134, cited in correspondence with Lord Alton of Liverpool on 6 August 2007) that 486 human oocytes were used between 11 August 2004 and 31 March 2005.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that the figures supplied in the response to the Freedom of Information request (F-2005-00134) were incorrect. The authority is undertaking a full reconciliation and will write further to the noble Lord. The total figure supplied for 11 August 2004 to 3 July 2005 in the Written Answer of 27 October (WA 124) is correct, save that the 36 eggs used included 10 failed-to-fertilise eggs, which should have been recorded separately. An amended table is included as follows.
| Period (inspection report date) | Fresh eggs used | Failed-to-fertilise eggs used |
| 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 (May 2008) | 19 | 56 |
| 30 April 2006 to 30 April 2007 (July 2007) | 9 | 26 |
| 30 April 2005 to 30 April 2006 (July 2007) | 66 | 593 |
| 11 August 2004 to 3 July 2005 (July 2005) | 26 | 10 |