Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Darzi of Denham (Labour) on Monday, 12 May 2008.

Embryology

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 October 2007 (WA 99–100) regarding activities prohibited by South Korea's ministry of health and welfare, whether entities created by inserting somatic cell nuclei from animals into human eggs (whether enucleated or not) would be classified as admixed human embryos within the legislative remit of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, or whether such embryos would not be subject to legislative regulation in the United Kingdom.

Answer: Inserting an animal somatic cell nucleus into an enucleated human egg would produce an embryo which is over 99 per cent animal and which is not a human admixed embryo for the purposes of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. Inserting an animal somatic cell nucleus into a human egg would result in an embryo with three sets of chromosomes, two of which were animal and one of which was human, if any embryo could result from such a process, it would be predominantly animal and would not be a human admixed embryo for the purposes of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill prohibits the placing of such an embryo into a woman. Any proposal to place such an embryo in an animal would fall to be considered under the Animal, Scientific Procedures Act 1986.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 701 c108WA; 3223
Session: 2007-08
Related items: Embryology
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Written questions
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Subjects: Animal experiments Human embryo experiments Regulation Human-animal hybrid embryos
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk