§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to the proportion of blood donors in Edinburgh who are HIV positive.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythEffective measures are taken to ensure that blood donations are free from HIV. First, all potential donors are required to sign a statement that they are not in one of the groups which have a high risk of catching AIDS. Secondly, all blood donations have been screened for HIV antibodies since October 1985. In the south-east of Scotland region (which includes Edinburgh) since screening began the proportion of donors found to be HIV positive is only 0.012 per cent.