HFEA Statement following the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee report
24 March 2005
Suzi Leather, Chair of the HFEA, said:
"This radical report is a challenging contribution to the debate about how we should ensure effective regulation of fertility treatment and embryo research in the interests of patients and the public.
"It makes a number of bold and challenging recommendations, particularly around the freedom that doctors and scientists should have in the future to push back the boundaries of current practice.
"We know that the committee has taken evidence on many of the difficult issues raised in the fertility sector and that their conclusions have been far from unanimous.
"Our role, as independent regulator, has been to ensure that the public interest is safeguarded, the sector is accountable and standards are maintained. We are pleased to see that the report recognises the role for an independent regulator going forward, in accordance with the government's declared plans for the future of the HFEA.
"Over the last 14 years the UK has become a world leader in fertility treatment and research. We are proud of the huge advances which have helped people to create the families they wish for and help the treatment of serious disease.
"Much of this is down to the fact that public confidence in the checks and controls on the sector has allowed the researchers and health professionals to take their work forward. We will be continuing our work with patients, the public, professionals and parliament to ensure that these improvements and advances continue.
"The big question for the fertility and research sectors in the future is how we will maintain patient safety, public confidence and minimise risks from developing technologies.
"The acid test for this report will be how well it deals with to the public's concerns and meets the need to take these important areas of public interest forward."
Ends
Notes to editors
The HFEA was set up in August 1991 as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA's principal tasks are to license and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.
The HFEA consulted the public on the issue of sex selection and launched the report in 2003.
Page last updated: 11 March 2009