Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 24 July 2015 (HL1524), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority does not hold data in its register regarding the number of embryos experimented upon; whether this lack of data applies to embryos created specifically for research; and if so, what measures they intend to take to regulate such activity effectively.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that there is no statutory requirement for its register to hold information on the number of embryos experimented upon. HFEA licensed research centres are required to record information every year on the number of embryos donated, created and used for research purposes. Compliance with this requirement is verified by inspection.