In Vitro Fertilisation
(asked on 5th September 2014) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will revise his definition of genetic modification to include manipulations of mitochondrial DNA.
This question was answered on 12th September 2014
The Department decided that, because there is no existing universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans, it would adopt a working definition. The definition that has been adopted is that genetic modification involves the germ-line modification of nuclear DNA (in the chromosomes) that can be passed on to future generations.
We have no current plans to revise the working definition but will keep it under review.