Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool
asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 29 October (WA144-5) regarding Medical Research Council expenditure, why a total of £760,000 might now be required to identify potential benefits of somatic cell nuclear transfer, especially in light of Answers provided by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 October (WA100-1) stating that research licences cannot be authorised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for any activity unless it specifically appears to be necessary or desirable for one or more clinically related purposes. [HL75]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Lord Triesman)
The award to the University of Newcastle entitled “Improving the efficiency of human Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer” (SCNT) will examine technological improvements with the major aim of improving the efficiency of SCNT. This is an essential prerequisite for realising the potential benefits of this approach. For example, SCNT is considered to hold great promise for the development of patient-specific stem cell therapies, which may overcome the problems of immune rejection that would otherwise prove a barrier to the use of transplanted stem cells. The work is thus desirable for one or more clinically related purposes.

Lord Alton of Liverpool
asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 29 October (WA144-5) regarding Medical Research Council expenditure on somatic cell nuclear transfer research, what assessment they have made of work described in Transplantation Proceedings (2006) 38:3103-3108 and Transplantation Proceedings (2007) 39:658-661, and in particular of any costs known to be associated with the work described therein. [HL76]

Lord Triesman
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has not made an assessment of the work described in these recently published papers. Careful and validated research is still needed in this area, which the recent MRC awards to the University of Newcastle aim to address. These issues are a matter for the Medical Research Council and I have asked the MRC's chief executive to write to the noble Lord concerning his request.