Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other governments regarding the decision of the United Kingdom to permit germline modifications for the purposes of preventing the transmission of mitochondrial disease; and what, if any, concerns were raised during those discussions.

The Government has had no discussions with other international governments about Parliament’s decision to pass the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015. Although a matter reserved to the Westminster Parliament, the Government has kept the Devolved Administrations informed about the development of these regulations. Information is not routinely collected by the Department about other countries’ approaches to addressing mitochondrial disease.

The Government has made no formal assessment of the statement by Mr John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, however we understand that his comments were not in relation to mitochondrial donation.