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DNA: Screening

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 8471, tabled on 8 January 2024

Question

Tommy Sheppard
Scottish National Party
Edinburgh East
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the University of Manchester's article entitled Reforming UK fertility legislation: the effects of online DNA testing, published on 27 November.

Answer

Maria Caulfield
Conservative
Lewes
Commons

Answered on

11 January 2024

The Government asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 2021 to undertake a review and public engagement about priorities for modernising the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. HFEA published its report on 14 November 2023, which is available at the following link:

https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/modernising-the-regulation-of-fertility-treatment-and-research-involving-human-embryos/

While the Department has made no assessment, HFEA’s report makes references to the points raised in the University of Manchester's article, noting the rapidly developing field of genetic testing, including direct to consumer testing, and includes proposals about access to donor information. The Government is considering the issues raised in the report and will respond in due course.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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