Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Thornton on 15 March 2010 (WA 123) and Earl Howe on 7 February 2011 (WA 10), what impact consultation responses had on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's policy following the public consultation on ““Donating eggs for research: safeguarding donors””, bearing in mind comments by Dr Stephen Minger in the media on 21 December 2006 and Dr Alexandra Plows and others in the document entitled Should scientific researchers be allowed to ask women to provide their eggs for disease research?—A statement of concerns in response to the current HFEA consultation.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the responses to the consultation Donating eggs for research: safeguarding donors were taken into account in formulating its policy and guidance on the matters discussed in the document. The HFEA’s deliberations are recorded in minutes of the relevant meetings, which are published on its website at: www.hfea.gov.uk. The HFEA has advised that the process and timing of its current review of sperm and egg donation have been discussed in successive authority meetings, minutes of which are available on its website. Decisions with regard to the policy and guidance relating to sperm and egg donation are expected to be taken by the authority at an open meeting in July. Papers and minutes relating to this meeting will be published on the HFEA website. The HFEA has also advised that, following well-established practice, all responses will be summarised and reported to the authority for consideration. Policy decisions rest with the authority as a whole rather than with individual members. The HFEA has advised that it does not recognise a basis for the comments on its consultation in the BioNews article, which reflect the opinions of the authors. However, the HFEA has also advised that the way it has gone about framing the consultation has been thorough and transparent. The HFEA considers there is no basis to the claim that decisions have already been made and is confident that the consultation materials provide those wishing to respond with an even-handed and informative overview of the issues on which their views are sought. The HFEA is an independent statutory body, and the manner in which it discharges its statutory duties and any consultations it undertakes to assist it in conducting its statutory functions are matters for the authority itself to determine.