Joint committee on the Human Tissue and
Embryos (Draft) Bill - First Report
Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Lords and the House of Commons to be printed 24 July 2007.
CONTENTS
Terms of Reference
ABSTRACT
Chapter 1: Introduction
Scope of our inquiry
Timing
Evidence and other views received
Acknowledgements
Chapter 2: Policy Background
Table 1: Chronology of relevant legislation, review and reports
Parliamentary involvement
Chapter 3: Public Opinion and Public Understanding
Public education and public understanding
Parliament's role
Chapter 4: Legislative and Ethical Framework
Warnock and the 1990 framework
The ethical framework in the draft Bill
A statement of principles?
How ethical decisions are currently made
Ethics within the regulatory framework
Ethics outside the regulatory framework
Conclusions
The regulatory architecture: getting the balance right
Chapter 5: Part 1 of the Draft Bill—The Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos
RATE
RATE: efficiency or more bureaucracy?
RATE: bringing tissue and embryos together
HFEA reputation: domestically and internationally
Breadth of functions
RATE's constitution and the Expert Advisory Panel (EAP) model
The Draft Full Regulatory Impact Assessment: costs and savings
An alternative to RATE?
Regulating research and treatment
(1) The relationship between research and treatment
(2) The regulation of research
(3) Regulation of treatment
(4) The overall regulatory structure
Conclusion
Reform of the Human Tissue Act 2004
Embryo transfer in treatment
Paying for the regulator
Paying for regulation
Research licence fees
Treatment fees
NICE guidelines
Chapter 6: Part 2 of the Draft Bill—Amendments of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
Introduction
Definitions in clauses 14 and 15
Secretary of State's power to extend definitions
Inter-species embryos
General points on inter-species embryos
Government policy
Section 4A(5)(a): 'true' hybrids
Section 4A(5)(e): the 'catch-all' provision and the regulatory gap
A way forward with definitions
Box 1: Inter-species embryo: working definition
Overall conclusion on inter-species embryos
Prohibitions in respect of embryos and mitochondrial DNA from two women (artificial gametes)
Clause 18 and Schedule 2: Licensable activities
Embryo testing
Tissue typing and 'saviour siblings'
Sex selection
Research licences
Consent to storage and use of gametes and embryos
Conditions of licence for treatment: 'Welfare of the child' and 'need for a father' provisions
Introduction
Welfare of the child
The 'need for a father'
Reasons for proposed change
Research evidence on role of fathers
HFEA guidance on the welfare of the child and the need for a father
Alternative proposals
Storage limits
Register of Information
New section 31ZA: access to the register for civil partners
Section 31ZA (access to identifying information about genetic half-siblings)
Section 31ZE (voluntary contact register)
Use of information for research purposes
Age of access
Chapter 7: Part 3 (Parenthood in cases involvingAssisted Reproduction) and Part 4 (Miscellaneous and General) of the Draft
Bill
Feelings of donor-conceived people
The right to know and the need to be told
Birth certificates
Counselling/intermediary services
Sperm sorting kits
Surrogacy arrangements
Internet sperm donation
Chapter 8: Recommendations
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Appendix 1: Joint Committee on the Draft Human Tissuesand Embryos Bill
Appendix 2: List of Witnesses
Appendix 3: Call for Evidence
Appendix 4: List of Acronyms
Appendix 5: Report of Evening Forum
Appendix 6: Report on the Online Consultation
Appendix 7: Memorandum on behalf of the Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform
Appendix 8: Letter from the Minister to the Chairman on the Draft Regulatory Impact Assessment
Appendix 9: Letter to the Clerk from the Department of Health on the Provisions on Inter-Species Embryos
Appendix 10: Formal Minutes
List of Oral Evidence
Tuesday 5 June 2007
Wednesday 6 June 2007
Tuesday 12 June 2007
Wednesday 13 June 2007
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Wednesday 20 June 2007
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Written Evidence
NOTE: References in the text of the report are as
follows:
(Q) refers to a question in oral evidence
(Ev) refers to an evidence submission
The Report of the Joint Committee is published in
Volume I, HC 630-I, HL Paper 169-I.
The Evidence of the Committee is published in Volume
II, HC 630-II, HL Paper 169-II (published 8 August 2007).
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