§ 45. Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet received the report of his Ad- 24 visory Committee on transplant surgery; and if he will publish their main conclusions.
§ 50. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now make a further statement upon human organ transplants.
§ Mr. CrossmanI cannot at present add to what my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State said in the debate on 20th June, but I hope to make a statement shortly.
§ Mr. SmithAs everyone agrees that there must be completely adequate safeguards for prospective donors, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that legislation is now urgent? Is he aware that recent cases have done nothing to alleviate public anxiety, and that it is important for the medical procession that the public should be wholeheartedly behind it in this import new development?
§ Mr. CrossmanI agree that any legislation should have the full support of the consensus of public opinion. But we had better await the report of the Advisory Committee.
§ Sir G. NabarroWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in two consecutive Parliamentary Sessions the Government have rejected my Private Member's Measure, Renal Transplatation, on grounds that they wished to legislate comprehensively for all human organs and would not proceed organ by organ? Is that still the position and policy of Her Majesty's Government, and can we have an undertaking that this important legislation will be included in the new Session—if there is one—next October?
§ Mr. CrossmanI do not think that the hon. Gentleman could have listened very carefully to my Answer to the previous Question. I said that whether we should have legislation or not would depend on the report of the Advisory Committee. I advise the hon. Gentleman to wait for that report. The answer to the first part of the question is "yes".
§ Dr. John DunwoodyWould my right hon. Friend agree that the demands made by transplant surgery on hospital services, particularly on blood banks, is reducing the standards of service available for day-to-day treatment of routine conditions, and will he look into it?
§ Mr. CrossmanThis is a different question. I will certainly look into it, and I am prepared to answer a Question on that subject if my hon. Friend will put one down.
§ Mr. Maurice MacmillanAs well as dealing with this highly technical and important question, will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the report will concern itself primarily with the social and eithical problems involved?
§ Mr. CrossmanYes, Sir.