Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 December (WA 208–9) why at least 681 human eggs were used under research licence R0122 between August 2004 and March 2005 according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) chief executive, given that the progress report received by the HFEA in April 2004 indicates that the expected numbers of eggs to be used over that year would be 100; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the progress reports for research licence R0122 submitted to the HFEA by Centre 0017 in 2005, in which the numbers of eggs used were described.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the progress report that the noble Lord refers to gave an expected number of eggs to be used in the research project, which was an estimate. As the research progressed, more eggs were used. The HFEA has also advised that a search of records held by the authority has not identified a progress report submitted by centre 0017 in 2005 for research project R0122.