Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Thornton on 6 April 2010 (WA 393) and by Earl Howe on 8 March (WA 389), what answers were provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in response to an e-mail on 17 August 2004 by Dr Bob Spink MP whilst sitting on the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, inparticular regarding (a) the justification for performing research of a preliminary nature with human embryos before validating the suitability of stem cells derived by nuclear transfer in animal models, (b) his request for evidence supporting research proposals that encompassed an apparent aim to treat an autoimmune condition by cloning, and (c) queries about the previous experience in diabetes research of those making such proposals compared to their experience in reproductive medicine.
Answer
Correspondence sent to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and replies sent in response are matters for the HFEA. The HFEA is an independent statutory regulatory body and details of the correspondence it receives are not held centrally by the department. For these reasons, Ministers cannot comment on the content of such correspondence.