The closing date for submissions was Friday, 19 February 2010

The Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004 prohibits storage of a human in vitro gamete or a human in vitro embryo for longer than the applicable period. The applicable period is 10 years or, if the ethics commitee under the Act has, before the expiry of that 10-year period, approved a longer period in respect of the gamete or embryo, the longer period approved by the ethics committee. The prohibition applies to both gametes and embryos of that kind, storage of which began before 22 November 2004; and storage before 22 November 2004 of gametes and embryos of that kind. Fertility clinics acting in good faith have unknowingly acted in breach of the Act by storing gametes and embryos of that kind forlonger than the applicable period, and will continue to do so unless the Act is amended.

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