Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 22 February (WA 214), which employees of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have been responsible for the loss of records following requests by researchers; and why losses that could only be described at disproportionate cost were not included amongst the cases of misconduct described in the Written Answer on 8 February (WA 81–2).
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the services provided to the authority by Hanover Communications during 2007 and 2008 were strategic communications advice regarding regulatory action and associated litigation regarding licensed centres 0157 and 0206. These services were in addition to those provided by the HFEA's head of communications and press officer. The HFEA has also advised that the head of inspection did not receive the same financial support. HFEA has advised that the matter to which its chief executive was referring is described in paragraph 2 of that same internal memo, which, I am informed, has been given to the noble Lord. As individual cases relating to this matter were resolved, details were placed on the HFEA’s website. In addition, a programme of change at the HFEA (known as "Programme 2010") was commenced in late 2007 and extensively publicised. This programme has now been completed. To assess its effectiveness, the HFEA has commenced an internal governance review. Again, I am informed that the terms of reference of the review have been provided to the noble Lord. The HFEA has advised that it does not hold a record of the particular witnessing system used in each licensed centre because it considers that this is not necessary to fulfil its statutory duties. The HFEA has implemented the recommendations of the Toft report and, in 2007, further recommendations regarding witnessing were incorporated into the seventh edition of the authority’s code of practice. With regard to Ms Trish Davies, the HFEA has advised that it has nothing to add to the press statement of 11 January 2010. With respect to the nature of the disproportionate costs referred to in my Written Answer of 8 February 2010 (Official Report, cols. WA 81-2) the HFEA has advised that it would need to scrutinise all records created since 1991 in order to establish whether any have been lost following a request from researchers. The resources that this would involve would be substantial and would breach the £800 cost limit. The incidents at centre 0102 relate to a complaint against the HFEA about the handling of events to which the noble Lord refers. This complaint is currently the subject of an investigation. Once the investigation into this complaint is complete, the HFEA has undertaken to inform the noble Lord of the outcome.