§ Mr. George Gardinerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any studies have been undertaken to determine the feasibility of keeping central or regional computer records of all who have indicated their willingness to donate their organs for transplant upon death.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe costs and practical implications of establishing and maintaining a free standing national computer register of people in England willing to become organ donors were examined by the Department in 1980, and we recently looked at these again in the light of current computer costs. We are not convinced that at the present time the benefits would justify the large expenditure required. A scheme using a computer register was launched earlier this year which aims to cover the whole of Wales, and we have asked to be kept informed of evaluations of its effect on the supply of donor organs. Studies were also prepared prior to the setting up of local computer registers in Manchester and Glasgow.