Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many human eggs frozen by slow-cooling have been (1) thawed, and (2) fertilised, in the last six years; how many of those have (a) developed into embryos, and (b) been transferred to a recipient uterus; and of those transferred, how many have developed into pregnancies, and how many (i) live births, and (ii) early pregnancy losses or stillbirth, have resulted.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it does not hold information on the method of freezing, vitrification or slow-cooling, during this period. The HFEA collects data on the other information requested on treatments and outcomes but cannot break this down by method of freezing. The relevant information held by the HFEA, as indicated on the treatment form completed at the time, is set out in the attached tables.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average age of women submitting their oocytes for freezing in the last six years; and how many were undertaking the process (1) as a result of cancer or similar treatment, and (2) for social reasons.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the average (mean) age of women freezing eggs for their own use was 34. The age of egg donors (i.e. freezing eggs for donation) is limited by professional guidelines. The HFEA does not hold information on the reasons for egg freezing during this period.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many human eggs were frozen in the last six years by centres registered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and how many of those eggs were frozen by (1) the slow-cooling method, and (2) the process of vitrification.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the number of human eggs frozen between 2008 and 2013, the last six years for which data is available, by centres registered by the Authority, is 24,406. The HFEA does not hold information on the method of freezing, vitrification or slow cooling, during this period.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the annual cost to the National Health Service of litigation in 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13; and what was the amount paid in medical insurance by the National Health Service in the same years.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Department does not hold complete information on this centrally, as each National Health Service body is responsible for handling its own litigation except where they have the claims processed under the statutory NHS indemnity schemes, which are administered by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHS LA) on behalf of the Secretary of State.
However, the vast majority of litigation claims against the NHS are handled by the NHS LA, and costs met from its schemes. The NHS LA is mainly funded from contributions by member NHS bodies. The balance is met by the Department.
The following table shows the expenditure incurred by the NHS LA in the years in question.
Financial year | Member Contributions £,000
| DH Funding £,000 | Total scheme funding £,000 |
2010-11 | 839,302 | 83,674 | 922,976 |
2011-12 | 934,418 | 406,439 | 1,340,857 |
2012-13 | 1,005,743 | 318,557 | 1,324,300 |
Source: NHS LA - July 2014