The Bill provides for revised and updated legislation on assisted reproduction and for changes to the regulation and licensing of embryo use in research and therapy. A draft Bill, the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill, was scrutinised by a joint committee of both Houses. Proposed changes to the Human Tissue Act 2004, such as the establishment of a new body called RATE, have been dropped. The revised name of this Bill reflects that change. The Bill includes provision for research into different types of embryos, and proposes changes to definitions of legal parenthood for cases involving assisted reproduction. Amendments to abortion law were tabled during the passage of this Bill. These were discussed by a Committee of the whole House but not passed.
This consultation contains four sets of regulations required to implement the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 Three of the sets of regulations are required to add further detail to the provisions in the 2008 Act. These are: the procedure for revocation, variation or refusal of licences regulations the procedure for appeals against licensing decisions regulations, and the procedure for disclosure of information for research purposes regulations. The fourth set of regulations updates the regulations made under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, that relate to the extension of the statutory storage periods for gametes and embryos.