§ Sir Raymond Gowerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome are known to have occurred in England; what specialist medical advice he has so far received; what consultation he has had with blood transfusion centres regarding steps to be taken to ensure that blood donors are free of this disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeBy 19 November, 85 subsequently confirmed cases in England had been reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre (CDSC). We receive medical advice from CDSC and specialists in the relevant fields of medicine including blood transfusion, genito-urinary medicine, immunology and oncology. After consulting the Advisory Committee on the National Blood Transfusion Service we have decided to ask all regional blood transfusion centres to issue, on an individual basis to all blood donors, a revised leaflet "AIDS and how it concerns blood donors". This leaflet reinforces our previous advice that persons at high risk of transmitting the AIDS virus should not donate blood.