§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what basis 1,000 tonsil samples were discarded before being tested for new-variant CJD; and what procedures were followed to make sure that infection with new-variant CJD did not result in the sample being discarded. [HL2448]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathA significant proportion of the samples was unsuitable for analysis because they were found by scientists to be damaged or otherwise of insufficient quality to enable analysis to be carried out. At the time the samples were taken, during routine surgery, there had been no intention of subjecting them to further analysis. The decision to set up the study of these appendices and tonsils came later. Discovery of any abnormal prion protein indicative of variant-CJD in those suitable for testing would have been reported.
§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why, when they are prepared to release the results of testing tonsil samples for new-variant CJD before peer review and use a test which has not been fully validated, they insist on waiting for peer review before publishing other crucial information. [HL2449]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe Government do not in general publish the results of research findings unless they have first been peer reviewed. Preliminary data from the survey of human tonsil/appendix tissue currently under way were evaluated at a recent meeting of a scientific committee chaired by Professor Borysiewicz of the University of Wales College of Medicine. Experienced scientists operating in the relevant field of research into variant CJD are members of this committee and were present at this meeting. The preliminary findings were seen as helping to increase our knowledge about variant CJD. There was a very high level of public interest in this study. Following that meeting, an announcement about the results was made on 28th April 2000 by the Department of Health (ref. 2000/0250).