Human Tissues (Hansard, 18 November 1991)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what co-ordination exists between human tissue banks to prevent human material from going to waste.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
The Medical Research Council, which receives grant aid from my Department, provides funds for the foetal tissue bank at the Royal Marsden hospital, London and for nine brain tissue banks. The foetal issue bank is a national facility supplying material to more than 100 centres in the United Kingdom. It operates according to guidelines published in the "Review of the Guidance on the Research Use of Foetuses and Foetal Material"—the Polkinghorne report, Cm. 762. The M RC is reviewing the activities of the brain tissue banks to ensure that there is optimum co-ordination between them and their users. The health departments, university departments and medical schools may also be supporting other tissue banks. Information is not held centrally about these.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the advantages and preferred use of human tissues compared with animal tissues in research, testing and education; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
None. This is a matter for the academic and research community.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the number, location and type of human tissue storage facilities which exist for the purposes of research, testing and education in the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
Such facilities may exist at higher education institutions, research establishments and hospitals. The information requested is not held centrally.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will bring forward proposals to expand the number of human tissue storage facilities.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
No evidence has been put to my Department which would indicate that such an expansion was needed.