§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what facilities exist in Coventry, the west midlands and nationally for the screening of acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to increase the availability of screening facilities.
§ Mr. Bendallasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make it compulsory for blood donors to be tested for acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeTests to detect the presence in blood of antibodies to the HTLV III virus have been developed both here and abroad. At present they are available only for research purposes. We hope that tests will be released for general use later this year. We shall thoroughly evaluate the tests on offer to see which is most suitable for use in the National Health Service. In anticipation of these developments we have advised regional health authorities to set aside funds in 1985–86 to enable blood transfusion centres to test all blood donations as soon as this is possible.