To ask the Minister of Health whether the time limit for frozen eggs, sperm and embryos has been extended to allow potential parents the opportunity to progress treatment after the delays forced by the pandemic.

Fertility is a reserved matter. However, I can advise that the Westminster government introduced legislation as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure to fertility clinics and ongoing delays to fertility treatments. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 allows an additional two-year storage on top of the maximum base limit of ten years in place at the time for those with material in storage on 1 July 2020.