Website of the Department of Health

Pre-legislative scrutiny report

A joint committee of both Houses of Parliament was established to scrutinise the draft Bill. It published a report with 31 recommendations on 1 August 2007 and a separate volume of evidence. On 8 October 2007, the Government published its response to the scrutiny committee’s 31 recommendations.

• Government response to the report from the Joint Committee on the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill

Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill

A draft Bill was published on 17 May 2007 with supporting documents, for pre-legislative scrutiny. It included proposed changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, and a proposal to replace the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority with the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos (RATE).

• Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill

Government response to the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: Government proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos

On 5 April 2007, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee published a report on Government proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos, following a short inquiry. This paper sets out the Government’s response to the report’s 34 conclusions and recommendations.

• Government response to the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: Government proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos

White Paper: Proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)

On 14 December 2006, the Government published a command paper detailing proposals for revision of the law on assisted reproduction and embryo research, including the proposal to replace existing regulatory bodies (the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority) by the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos (RATE).

• Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act

Consultation on the review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act

The Department ran a public consultation from 16 August to 25 November 2005. It posed a wide range of questions about how the law might be updated, including how it should deal with issues such as embryo screening for inherited disorders, sex selection and possible future technologies such as artificial gametes.

A total of 535 responses were received from a wide range of stakeholders and individuals.  On March 29 2006 a summary of the responses, compiled for the Department by People, Science and Policy Limited, was published.

• Responses to the consultation on the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act

Human reproductive technologies and the law: Government response to the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee

On 24 March 2005, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee published a report on 'Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law', following a yearlong inquiry and collection of evidence.

The Select Committee's conclusions and recommendations were considered in the context of the Government's own plans to review the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 announced in 2004. The paper attached below sets out the Government's response to the report's 104 conclusions and recommendations.

• Human reproductive technologies and the law: Government response to the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as updated by the EU Tissue and Cells Directive.

• UK Statute Law Database: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37) (opens new window)