F-2011-00410 – Incidents reported by centres in Wales between 2006 and 2010
23 January 2012
Summary of request
The Authority was asked for the number and grade of incidents reported to the HFEA by each licensed centre in Wales for each year from 2006 to 2010.
HFEA response
Prior to 1 October 2009, details relating to incidents were reported to the HFEA on terms requiring them to be kept in confidence under section 33(2)(b) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. One of the effects of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 is that this clause is no longer part of the HFE legislation. Notwithstanding the amendment to the legislation, it is considered that centres that reported incidents prior to the change in legislation have a legitimate expectation that such information will continue to be treated confidentially. The Authority considers information about the number and grade of incidents reported by each centre in each year prior to 2009 to be contrary to this expectation. To disclose this information may result in a breach of the confidentiality provisions of section 33 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended). This information is therefore exempt from the general entitlement to disclosure provided by section 1 of the FOIA under section 44 of that Act. We can however, provide a breakdown for incidents reported after 1 October 2009 and this is set out in the document below. You may want to look through the attached information in conjunction with the national figures for incidents, which are published in our annual reports: http://www.hfea.gov.uk/146.html and should give some context.
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Page last updated: 17 August 2012