§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to identify and encourage bone marrow donors.
§ Mr. SackvillePublic awareness of bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for leukaemia has increased in recent years. This had led to an increase in the number of people volunteering to become donors, for those situations where a patient does not have a matched sibling donor.
There are two bone marrow donor registers in the United Kingdom. The Anthony Nolan trust is a charity and relies on publicity for its success. The British Bone Marrow and Platelet Donor Panel (BBMPDP) recruits from blood donors directly through the blood transfusion service and does not advertise its work other than at regional transfusion centres. The two United Kingdom registers are working closely to ensure greater coordination of effort. This should be of benefit to patients. The Government contribute to the BBMPDP's running costs.
Government support is not limited to the United Kingdom. One of the measures included in the 1990–94 action plan under the "Europe Against Cancer" initiative is a feasibility study on co-operation between European bone marrow donor banks.