§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the compulsory wearing of seat belts has had on the supply of kidneys for transplants so far; what is his estimate of the future effect; what steps he is intending to take to increase efficiency in finding potential donors; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe average weekly number of kidney transplants notified to the United Kingdom transplant service in the seven weeks from 31 January 1983, when the wearing of seat belts became compulsory, was 21.6 compared with a weekly average of 22.1 in the 12 weeks immediately before that date. This is well within the margin of variation that normally occurs in these figures and provides no basis yet for estimating the future effect of the legislation.
On the question of steps to increase the number of potential donors, I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (Mr. Pawsey) on 10 March. [Vol. 38, c. 483–84.] We are working on a number of other initiatives directed at maintaining the recent improvement in the supply of kidneys for transplantation.