Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Earl Howe on 24 November 2010 (WS 101–2) and the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 March (HL5228), what are the reasons provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to account for changes in data over time; whether this primarily reflects epistemological deficiencies, and if so why responsibility for inaccuracy does not therefore arise; and if not, what is the ontological explanation for how information can change over time so as to require reconciliation or correction whilst still remaining correct at the time.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the changes to data over time are small, reflecting the dynamic nature of the Register, that includes the notification of changes received from clinics and research centres, as well as reconciliation work undertaken by the HFEA’s register team.