asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 March (WA 44) and 21 April (WA 233-34), why outgrowing mouse embryos have been used as a model of implantation in published studies if the intrinsic nature of outgrowing embryos is to lack potential and be unable to develop if implanted; and [HL3992]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 2 June (WA 10), at what point an outgrowing embryo either ceases to be living, ceases to be human or ceases to be an embryo; and what criteria are used by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority during an inspection to determine that this point has been reached within 14 days; and [HL3993]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 14 May (WA 135), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has authorised the culture of whole human embryos beyond 14 days to form outgrowths for the creation of stem cells. [HL3994]
Applications for embryo research licences are considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's (HFEA) Research Licence Committee (which will refer to advice from the authority's Scientific and Clinical Advances Group). It will consider whether the proposed method for embryo culture and stem cell derivation complies with Sections 3(3)(a) and (4) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1900 (HFE Act).
When human embryos are allowed to attach to the surface of a culture dish and outgrow their structure, it is not a breach of Sections 3(3)(a) and (4) of the HFE Act 1990.
The HFEA has not licensed the use of mouse embryos as a model of implantation regarding this issue. When considering this issue, the HFEA's Scientific and Clinical Advances Group found no published studies regarding the transfer of these outgrowing entities to the womb of any mammal. The view of the group was that the aim of culturing cells in this way is to attempt to create stem cell lines and there is consensus among the scientific community that it is not possible for these entities to achieve a pregnancy.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 5 December 2007 (WA 195–96) and 18 December 2007 (WA 116–17) and his letter dated 14 January 2008, what protocol has been developed following more regular reviews of egg collection data by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and what concerns have been raised with the General Medical Council. [HL3995]
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has committed to carrying out a review of all information it collects from centres, particularly to take account of the implications of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. As part of this it expects to have a protocol complete by December 2008. The HFEA has a Memorandum of Understanding with the General Medical Council, but has not to date reported any concerns.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 5 December 2007 (WA 195–96) and 18 December 2007 (WA 116–17) and his letter dated 14 January, what proportion of eggs were used in either research or egg-sharing arrangements at each of the respective licensed centres where between 20 and 85 eggs were retrieved from women per in vitro fertilisation cycle. [HL4031]
The information requested is not collected centrally nor held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Information giving the percentage of eggs donated to research and to egg-sharing arrangements is shown in the following table.
Centre code Name Cycles where at least 1 egg has been collected Cycles where 20 - 85 eggs have been collected Patients where 20 - 85 eggs have been collected in a single cycle Percentage of all egg collections where 20 - 85 eggs were collected Egg share cycles where 20 - 85 eggs have been collected Percentage of cycles where 20 - 85 eggs were collected that were egg share cycles Total eggs collected in egg share cycles where between 20 and 85 eggs were collected Eggs donated for treatment of others in egg share cycles where between 20 and 85 eggs were collected Percentage of eggs collected in egg share cycles (where 20 - 85 eggs were collected) that were donated for the treatment of other patients Total eggs collected in cycles where between 20 and 85 eggs were collected and some were donated to research Eggs donated for research where between 20 and 85 eggs were collected Percentage of eggs collected in cycles where 20 - 85 eggs were collected and some were donated to research 0003 The BUPA Roding Hospital 76 1 1 1.3% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0004 Ninewells Hospital 2565 163 155 6.4% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0005 Peninsular Centre for Reproductive Medicine 985 66 57 6.7% 11 16.7% 282 134 47.5% 0 0 ++ 0006 The Lister Fertility Clinic 8390 634 563 7.6% 50 7.9% 1143 670 58.6% 0 0 ++ 0007 Hewitt Centre for Reproductive Medicine 5717 379 357 6.6% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0008 Midland Fertility Services 4079 492 450 12.1% 60 12.2% 1558 730 46.9% 20 10 ++ 0013 Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Coventry 2330 183 172 7.9% 1 0.5% 31 16 ++ 0 0 ++ 0015 Sussex Downs Fertility Centre 675 41 40 6.1% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0016 CARE Northampton 2295 137 127 6.0% 16 11.7% 389 204 52.4% 0 0 ++ 0017 Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life 3314 306 256 9.2% 9 2.9% 217 91 41.9% 177 37 20.9% 0019 Aberdeen Fertility Centre 2053 91 88 4.4% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0021 Hull IVF Unit 1350 117 107 8.7% 4 3.4% 97 48 49.5% 0 0 ++ 0024 Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University of Bristol 3336 185 170 5.5% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0025 University Hospital Aintree 387 5 5 1.3% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0026 BMI Priory Hospital 1690 104 96 6.2% 10 9.6% 212 102 48.1% 0 0 ++ 0028 BMI Ross Hall Hospital 449 33 32 7.3% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0030 Herts and Essex Fertility Centre 3252 315 280 9.7% 11 3.5% 324 160 49.4% 0 0 ++ 0031 Hartlepool General Hospital 406 4 4 1.0% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0032 Southmead Hospital 369 55 44 14.9% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0033 Manchester Fertility Services LTD 2068 227 208 11.0% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0035 Oxford Fertility Unit 4693 355 315 7.6% 88 24.8% 2218 391 17.6% 0 0 ++ 0037 Glasgow Royal Infirmary 3735 277 255 7.4% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0044 UCH London 1776 111 102 6.3% 2 1.8% 54 27 50.0% 68 4 5.9% 0049 IVF Wales 2002 144 132 7.2% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0052 Clarendon Wing - Leeds 6216 1160 1013 18.7% 2 0.2% 41 31 ++ 43 25 ++ 0055 The James Cook University Hospital 1409 48 47 3.4% 1 ++ 20 13 ++ 0 0 ++ 0057 Wessex Fertility Limited 2085 162 153 7.8% 10 6.2% 227 123 54.2% 0 0 ++ 0058 Edinburgh Assisted Conception Unit 706 23 23 3.3% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0059 London Women's Clinic, Swansea 1482 99 81 6.7% 56 56.6% 1310 688 52.5% 0 0 ++ 0061 CARE Sheffield 2155 21 21 1.0% 7 ++ 149 82 55.0% 0 0 ++ 0063 Assisted Conception Unit, St James' University Hospital - Leeds 3444 627 532 18.2% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0064 The Chiltern Hospital Fertility Services Unit 753 69 63 9.2% 11 15.9% 292 136 46.6% 0 0 ++ 0065 Salford Royal IVF and Fertility Centre 175 7 7 4.0% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0067 St Mary's Hospital 3119 346 322 11.1% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 141 22 15.6% 0068 Leicester Fertility Centre 992 68 67 6.9% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0069 Middle England Fertility Centre 380 14 14 3.7% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0070 The Bridge Centre 6102 209 190 3.4% 14 6.7% 313 199 63.6% 0 0 ++ 0071 CARE Wirral 196 6 6 3.1% 2 ++ 46 23 ++ 0 0 ++ 0073 The Portland Hospital Fertility Unit 345 7 7 2.0% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0074 Cromwell IVF and Fertility Centre, London 1489 184 162 12.4% 94 51.1% 2269 1147 50.6% 0 0 ++ 0075 London Women's Clinic, Darlington 999 157 124 15.7% 95 60.5% 2333 1157 49.6% 0 0 ++ 0076 NURTURE 1931 124 110 6.4% 31 25.0% 721 361 50.1% 0 0 ++ 0077 Regional Fertility Centre, Belfast 4749 362 326 7.6% 3 0.8% 78 38 48.7% 0 0 ++ 0078 IVF Hammersmith 5308 396 360 7.5% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 128 19 14.8% 0082 Newham General 256 8 8 3.1% 3 ++ 64 32 50.0% 0 0 ++ 0086 BMI Chelsfield Park ACU 1858 259 214 13.9% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0088 London Fertility Centre 3387 473 421 14.0% 3 0.6% 74 58 78.4% 0 0 ++ 0094 The Centre for Reproductive Medicine 3295 143 141 4.3% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0100 Bourn Hall Clinic 4845 463 434 9.6% 21 4.5% 523 268 51.2% 0 0 ++ 0101 CARE Nottingham 5716 404 366 7.1% 57 14.1% 1312 651 49.6% 0 0 ++ 0102 Guys Hospital 4093 509 453 12.4% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0105 London Women's Clinic 1459 118 102 8.1% 26 22.0% 623 317 50.9% 0 0 ++ 0109 Assisted Conception Unit, King's College Hospital 3420 484 416 14.2% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0115 Glasgow Nuffield Hospital 1550 75 73 4.8% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 25 2 ++ 0119 Birmingham Women's Hospital 2648 379 348 14.3% 68 17.9% 1777 878 49.4% 0 0 ++ 0133 The Winterbourne Hospital 1234 66 63 5.3% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0139 Bath Fertility Clinic 1482 192 159 13.0% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0143 London Female And Male Fertility Centre 251 24 21 9.6% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0144 The Woking Nuffield Hospital 2054 173 160 8.4% 4 2.3% 102 50 49.0% 0 0 ++ 0148 Shropshire and Mid-Wales Fertility Centre 473 64 56 13.5% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0153 Homerton University Hospital 903 17 16 1.9% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0157 Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre 3788 552 502 14.6% 1 0.2% 33 11 ++ 0 0 ++ 0158 Chelsea & Westminster Hospital 1717 115 104 6.7% 1 0.9% 30 10 ++ 0 0 ++ 0161 BMI The Chaucer Hospital 1365 100 90 7.3% 3 3.0% 73 37 50.7% 0 0 ++ 0164 The Hampshire Clinic 132 7 7 5.3% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0165 Brentwood Fertility Centre 1177 50 45 4.2% 13 26.0% 308 152 49.4% 0 0 ++ 0170 Centre for Assisted Reproduction, Gateshead 748 75 61 10.0% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0174 Wolverhampton Assisted Conception Unit 139 36 34 25.9% 1 ++ 28 9 ++ 0 0 ++ 0177 Diana, Princess of Wales Centre for Repro Medicine 703 77 69 11.0% 5 6.5% 110 47 42.7% 0 0 ++ 0179 South West Centre for Reproductive Medicine 1032 84 79 8.1% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0180 Willow Suite, Thames Valley Nuffield Hospital 608 15 15 2.5% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0181 ACU, Lifestyle Sandy Lane Clinic 412 35 35 8.5% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0184 Burton Hospitals NHS Trust 894 56 50 6.3% 9 16.1% 244 120 49.2% 0 0 ++ 0185 CARE Manchester 2876 372 318 12.9% 112 30.1% 2826 1454 51.5% 0 0 ++ 0186 The Harley Street Fertility Centre 1258 98 93 7.8% 2 2.0% 42 13 ++ 0 0 ++ 0188 Isis Fertility Centre 947 28 27 3.0% 3 ++ 67 33 49.3% 0 0 ++ 0196 Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Fertility, Sheffield 1362 19 18 1.4% 2 ++ 44 21 ++ 0 0 ++ 0197 Salisbury Fertility Centre 188 35 33 18.6% 11 ++ 285 142 49.8% 0 0 ++ 0198 St Jude's Women's Hospital 366 64 57 17.5% 1 1.6% 36 16 ++ 0 0 ++ 0199 CRM London 822 92 86 11.2% 43 46.7% 1015 503 49.6% 0 0 ++ 0200 Origin Fertility Care 409 29 28 7.1% 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0201 Edinburgh Assisted Conception Unit 1639 91 84 5.6% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 215 33 15.3% 0206 Reproductive Genetics Institute 1542 119 108 7.7% 0 0.0% 0 0 ++ 0 0 ++ 0208 South East Fertility Clinic 250 26 25 10.4% 2 ++ 42 20 ++ 0 0 ++
Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
Notes:
1. Data as at 9 June 2008.
2. Data on egg sharing and eggs donated for research have been routinely collected from 1 April 1999 only. The above data cover the period 2000-05 inclusive.
3.++ percentages are not given where there are less than 50 cycles or eggs.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 22 January (WA 28), 19 March (WA 44), 21 April (WA 233-34) and 9 June (WA 80), how each of the different classes of human admixed embryos described in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill could legally be cultured to form outgrowths beyond 14 days. [HL4132]
It will be for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to form a view, taking account of the detail of the specific research proposal at the time, on how each of the different classes of human admixed embryos described in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill could legally be cultured to form outgrowths beyond 14 days.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 9 June (WA 80), which serious diseases might be better understood and treated by injection of human sperm into an animal egg (or vice versa) followed by development of an embryo beyond the two-cell stage; whether any evidence supporting the use of true hybrids submitted to the relevant Select Committees has been or is expected to be published in research literature; and which species might be sufficiently closely related to humans so that chromosomal differences would not necessarily prevent successful hybridisation; and [HL4133]
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 9 June (WA 80-81), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority would in any circumstances consider the mixing of human genetic material with gametes from other ape species as necessary or desirable, and whether the authority will be renamed to take account of its remit over the creation and use of true hybrids. [HL4134]
Under the provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, the mixing of human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with animal gametes will not fall to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to be regulated unless the human DNA is in the form of a human gamete or the process of mixing the DNA results in an embryo where the animal DNA does not predominate. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill does not change the name of the HFEA.
The use of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection to generate true hybrids to be grown beyond the two-cell stage could be of use in the understanding of serious mitochondrial diseases. No project of research may be licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority unless it is satisfied that research is necessary or desirable for one of the statutory purposes set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill and the use of an embryo is necessary. It is unknown whether any species of animal’s gametes could successfully undergo “hybridisation” with a human gamete. The closer an animal is to humans in evolutionary terms, the more likely there would be success, but humans are significantly more advanced than any other species of animal, making the chances of successful “hybridisation” with any species low, no matter how closely related they are to humans.