§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what funding his Department has made available for the development of an effective screening test for AIDS virus in the national blood bank; and what extra measures he intends to take following the recent incident at Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Victoria infirmary.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeGovernment financial support for AIDS research has been provided through the Medical Research Council for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is responsible.
We are strengthening our efforts to dissuade people from donating blood if they are at high risk of transmitting AIDS virus. A revised version of our leaflet "AIDS and how it concerns blood donors" is to be given individually to each donor or potential donor.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new guidelines his Department will be issuing on the donation of blood in relation to acquired immune deficiency syndrome disease.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe new guidelines comprise a revision of the leaflet "AIDS and how it concerns blood donors", first issued in 1983. It will contain advice, 161W updated in the light of recent medical evidence, about groups at high risk of AIDS who should not volunteer to give blood. We will ask regional transfusion centres to ensure that the leaflet is received on an individual basis by every blood donor within the National Blood Transfusion Service.