Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 9 November (WA 111) and the ensuing letter from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) chief executive on 9 November, which were the research licences for which an HFEA research inspection report indicated that 23 embryos were obtained for research after two separate women produced 44 eggs and 29 eggs respectively; and whether that was unconventional; and, if not, at what frequency similar numbers of embryos were obtained for research from individuals following superovulation at each respective licensed centre.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the research licence referred to is licence R0145 at Newcastle Centre for Life. The number of eggs obtained from individuals following stimulation can vary significantly. Judgments about the appropriate number of eggs to obtain are clinical in nature and the HFEA takes the view that centres should follow guidance from the professional bodies when making these judgments.