Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Thornton (Labour) on Monday, 9 November 2009.

Embryology

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Thornton on 28 October (WA 150–51), whether tissue banks providing material for research are required to use contact information at their disposal in order to ensure that researchers can fulfil the requirements of paragraph 21(4) of Schedule 3 to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.

Answer: There is no legal requirement on tissue banks to use contact information at their disposal to aid researchers. In considering whether to grant a research licence to a project which proposed to use human cells without consent in the creation of embryos, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority would expect the applicant to show that they had complied with the provisions in the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Act 1990 (as amended). In particular, the applicant would need to demonstrate that they had taken reasonable steps to contact the cell provider or, where the cell provider was dead, to contact people in a qualifying relationship to the cell provider.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 6147; 714 c112WA
Session: 2008-09
Related items: Embryology
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Written questions
House of Lords; Embryology
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Disclosure of information Human embryo experiments Donors Research
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk