Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to lay before the House regulations permitting mitochondrial replacement techniques.

Following the publication on 22 July of the Government’s response to the consultation about the draft regulations to allow mitochondrial donation, the Government has been giving further consideration to the recommendations of the Expert Panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), refining the draft regulations to take account of changes identified during the consultation, and discussing with the HFEA an appropriate approval process.

Ministers will update Parliament on the Government’s intentions shortly.