Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour) on Thursday, 12 July 2007.

Embryology

Question: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 25 June (WA 101-2), whether they have assessed the appropriateness of inter-species tetraploid complementation experiments regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, bearing in mind that tetraploid complementation is an established procedure for deriving whole mice from mouse embryonic stem cells; andFurther to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 25 June (WA 101-2), in the event that it proves possible to derive a substantially human foetus by injecting human embryonic stem cells into a tetraploid embryo of another species, whether such a hypothetical entity would be considered an unprotected animal until half way through its gestation; and

Answer: As set out in the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill, if the cells that make up an embryo contain at least a haploid set of human chromosomes and at least one sequence of animal DNA, including a tetraploid complement of animal chromosomes, then it will be regulated as an inter-species embryo by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended by the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill. The Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill is drafted so that in vitro human embryos that contain animal cells are caught by the definition as found in new Section 4A(5)(d). The regulation of animal embryos that contain single or multiple human cells is not within scope of the Bill. Any embryo or inter-species embryo that contains a human embryo may be cultured in vitro in accordance with a licence from the new authority. Any animal embryo that contains human cells will require a licence from the Home Office once it becomes a protected animal. A licence would also be required for implantation of the embryo into another animal. The Government have taken a clear stance on the prohibition of human reproductive cloning. The implantation of an embryo into an animal, for any purpose, requires ministerial authorisation and, where the aim of the research is the reproductive cloning of a human, no licence would be authorised.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 4583; 693 c240-1WA
Session: 2006-07
Related items: Human Tissue and Embryos Bill (Draft)
Monday, 25 June 2007
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Clones Animal experiments Licensing Human embryo experiments IVF Regulation Reproduction Human-animal hybrid embryos
Legislation: Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; Draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk