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Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)

  • Author:
    Department of Health
  • Published date:
    14 December 2006
  • Primary audience:
    Health and social care professionals
  • Publication format:
    Printed copy to order from TSO
  • Product number:
    ISBN 0-10-169892-5
  • Gateway reference:
    7531
  • Series number:
    Cm 6989
  • Pages:
    56
  • Copyright holder:
    Crown

The Government has published a command paper detailing proposals for revision of the law on assisted reproduction and embryo research, including the proposed Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos (RATE), which will replace existing regulatory bodies (the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, and the Human Tissue Authority).

These proposals will go on to form a bill to be published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament.

Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill

This document, published on 17 May 2007) presents a draft of the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill and supporting documents. It is intended to revise the law on assisted reproduction and embryology, and to establish the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos (RATE).

Original consultation

The Government announced in 2004 that it intended to review the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (the HFE Act), including holding a public consultation exercise in 2005.

The consultation ran from 16 August to 25 November 2005 and posed a wide range of questions about how the law might be updated, including how it deals 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, the Minister for Public Health, Caroline Flint, announced publication of a report on the Review of the HFE Act public consultation.  The report was produced for the Department of Health by People, Science and Policy Limited and comprises an independent summary of the arguments raised.

Ordering hard copies

  • Printed copies of the Command Paper can be obtained for £13.50 from the Stationerary Office Publications Centre, quoting reference cm6989, 'Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)'
  • For copies of the Report on the Consultation on the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, please contact Pauline Rouse on 0207 972 1252 or email:

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