Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has permitted embryos or gametes provided by patients for a particular research project to be used in separate research, where the latter was a concurrent project with different stated aims from those described in the patient information literature on the original research project; and at which licensed research centres.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that on no occasion has it permitted embryos or gametes provided by patients for a particular research project to be used in separate research, in the circumstances set out in the noble Lord's Question. Additionally, no research licences have been required to cover oocyte karyotyping and studies of cell cycle proteins in human eggs in the circumstances described by the noble Lord. In respect of the use of human eggs under research licence R0122, the HFEA has advised that this information was provided to the noble Lord, in response to his request to the HFEA for this information, by the authority's chief executive. The HFEA has also advised that it does not know how the number of eggs used in research projects relates to information provided to patients participating in that research because the use of human eggs for research purposes does not require a research licence from the authority. The HFEA has advised that the source of the information contained in the background note to Question HL5792 was the authority's register of patients, donors and treatment cycles. The HFEA has also advised that the information quoted by the noble Lord was submitted by Newcastle Centre for Life via an electronic database interface; therefore, there are no copies of original documents to place in the Library.