Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government response to the consultation on draft regulations to permit the use of new treatment techniques to prevent the transmission of a serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child, published in July 2014, whether his Department consulted (a) Dr Andy Greenfield, (b) Professor Peter Braude and (c) Professor Robin Lovell-Badge on the formulation of the statement on page 15 that (i) mitochondrial donation techniques do not alter personal characteristics and traits of the person and (ii) the proposed mitochondrial donation techniques do not constitute genetic modification.

The Government’s position that mitochondrial donation techniques do not alter personal characteristics and traits of the person reflects information within the April 2011 scientific report of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority convened Expert Panel. The Expert Panel membership at that time included Professor Peter Braude and Professor Robin Lovell-Badge.

The working definition of genetic modification in humans, in relation to mitochondrial donation, was determined by the Department in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer for England.