§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she is yet in a position to publish the findings of the study undertaken by the north London blood transfusion service on behalf of her Department, into the risks associated with blood transfusions involving human T-cell leukaemia; what plans she has to ask other blood transfusion services to carry out similar studies on behalf of her Department; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe north London blood transfusion centre (NLBTC) undertook a study on behalf of the United Kingdom blood transfusion services, to determine the prevalence of antibodies to human T-cell leukaemia/ lymphoma virus (HTLV) in the blood of a sample donor population. Preliminary results of that study were published in abstract form at the British Blood Transfusion Society annual meeting, Nottingham 1991 and again in abstract form at the Montpelier symposium on HTLV held in March 1992. I have arranged for copies of those abstracts to be placed in the Library.
The NLBTC is now undertaking a more detailed analysis of the findings with a view to submitting them shortly for publication in a scientific journal.
The independent expert advisory committee which advises Ministers on topics relevant to the safety of the blood supply, will keep under review developments concerning HTLV and its detection. It will also review whether further studies or other measures are necessary to maintain the safety of the blood supply. I will write to the hon. Member with further details.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to hold centrally records by regional health authorities of the number of cases of cancer that have been reported that were associated with the virus human T-cell leukaemia, including the number of those cases that proved fatal; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleI have no plans to introduce such a policy.