Embryology Lord Alton of Liverpool 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] The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath) 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.