Impact assessment

Impact Assessment for the HFE (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations

Regulatory impact assessment for the HFE (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations.

This was published under the 2005 to 2010 Labour government

Applies to England

Documents

Impact Assessment for the HFE (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations

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Details

Sperm and eggs (gametes), or embryos can be stored (frozen) for later use if not used immediately. Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 Act (“the 1990 Act”) gametes can be stored for ten years and embryos for up to five. Regulations allow these storage periods to be extended until the person who will use them is aged 55, if certain criteria relating to infertility are met. The current regulations need to be updated to reflect the changes made to the statutory limits and the definitions by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (“the 2008 Act”), and to allow for more people to extend.

Published 26 June 2009