Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether doctors performing surgical abortions are prohibited from altering the procedure (a) in order to maximise the amount or quality of fetal tissue obtained for research and (b) for other non-clinical reasons.
In England and Wales, medical research using fetal tissue requires the consent of the woman who donates the tissue and is subject to the requirements of the Human Tissue Act 2004. It should be conducted in accordance with the Codes of Practice published by the Human Tissue Authority,which contain specific guidance on consent to the use of fetal tissue in Code of Practice 1, Consent.