§ Mr. Michael Meacher (Oldham, West)I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 20, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely,
the launching today of a private blood bank in Gloucester.It is clearly a specific matter, because two property developers, who have no experience of or expertise in the health field, are setting up a private blood bank on the third floor of a warehouse in Gloucester docks. However amateurish the outfit, those concerned are certainly specific about their charges, which are an initial fee of £400 for storing up to six pints of frozen blood per client and a subsequent charge of £160 a year.
It is a vital issue because the operation and efficiency of the National Blood Transfusion Service could be damaged, because a private blood bank will offer a second-class service to clients and will merely exploit and cash in on the present bandwagon of AIDS fears.
It is important, because this private firm is seeking to convey a false impression of guaranteed safety, when there are major problems involved in the long-term storage of frozen blood and its reconstitution, and when six pints are wholly inadequate for major operations, long-term treatment or following major accidents. It is important that patients are made aware of the huge and perhaps insuperable problems of the rapid transport of their own blood supplies if accidents occur hundreds of miles away. The delay could do far more damage than any conceivable risk from using blood supplies from the regional blood transfusion centre.
The matter is urgent because this private venture is starting today, it has not gained planning permission, it is wholly unregulated, so that contaminated blood could slip through, and it can offer no guarantee of safety. This might exacerbate our problems with AIDS rather than solve them.
For all those reasons, Mr. Speaker, I earnestly request that you find time for a debate on this crucial matter of public health at the earliest opportunity.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the launching today of a private blood bank in Gloucester.I do not underestimate the importance of what the hon. Gentleman has said. The decision that I have to take is whether to give this matter precedence over the business set down for today or tomorrow. I regret that I do not consider the matter that he has raised as appropriate for debate under Standing Order No. 20, and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I shall take first the point of order from Mr. Campbell-Savours. He gave me notice of it.