To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the comments by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 October 2008 (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 1624) and with reference to the articles in Nature (vol. 461) and Cell Stem Cell on 23 July 2009, whether, if chimaeric embryos were produced by combining human induced pluripotent stem cells and animal tetraploid embryos, they would be classified as “human admixed”, rather than falling under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [HL6020]

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) assesses all research licence applications for the production of embryos with both animal and human material and determines whether the proposed embryos fall within the definition of “human admixed embryo” (as outlined in Section 4A(6) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended)). In the case of the chimaeric embryos described, the authority would assess whether or not animal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is predominant, based upon the particular research proposed. In making this decision, the authority would bear in mind the House of Lords debate of 29 October 2008 (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 1624), in particular the assumption that “predominant” refers not only to the percentage of DNA but also to its location and functionality.