asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many human embryos have been created each year since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1991; and how many cloned human embryos have been created since 2001. [HL4212]
Information on the number of embryos created is shown in the table:
Year (calendar) Embryos created as part of treatment cycles Embryos created in non-treatment cycles (2) 1991 26,543 - 1992 75,456 - 1993 92,809 - 1994 106,425 - 1995 126,078 - 1996 148,691 - 1997 146,066 - 1998 163,206 - 1999 163,840 575 2000 170,406 728 2001 176,947 603 2002 178,794 724 2003 179,906 968 2004 185,409 1,038
No data are held by the department, nor are data routinely collected by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, on the number of embryos created using cell nuclear replacement (cloning) as part of a research project.
Notes:
(1) 2004 is the most recent year for which information is available.
(2) These are in vitro fertilisation cycles that, although started, did not progress to embryo transfer as part of that cycle of treatment. These embryos may have been used in a patient's later frozen treatment cycles or for embryo donation. No data are held for the years 1991 to 1998.
Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.