Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is adequate public consultation and discussion before a decision is taken by Parliament on permitting mitochondrial transfer.

A number of public consultation exercises have taken place on the subject of permitting the use of mitochondrial donation techniques in clinical practice.

In June 2012 the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published an ethical review of novel techniques for the prevention of mitochondrial DNA disorders. The review included an open call for evidence and fact-finding meetings which, the foreword to the report of the review says, “exposed us to a wide range of opinions and informed our thinking.” The report can be found on the Council’s website at:

http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/mitochondrial-dna-disorders/

Between July and December 2012 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, with support from the Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre, undertook an extensive United Kingdom public dialogue/consultation exercise, which had a number of strands including a deliberative public workshop, public representative survey, open consultation meetings, open consultation questionnaire and patient focus group. Reports of that exercise, published in March 2013, can be found on the Authority’s website at:

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/9359.html

In February 2014, the Department conducted a public consultation on the specific detail of the draft regulations. The report of that consultation was published in July 2014 and can be found on the GOV.UK website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/serious-mitochondrial-disease-new-techniques-to-prevent-transmission

The Department has also received and responded to a large volume of correspondence on this issue, indicating there is considerable public awareness about it.

The Wellcome Trust, the Lily Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and other research organisations have also worked to raise awareness of mitochondrial disease and the techniques to prevent its transmission.

We are satisfied that the general public is informed about this issue and has had the opportunity to make known its views.