§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her policy in respect of the supply to hospitals of plasma products produced from plasma unscreened for hepatitis C at the individual donor level after 1 January 1993;
(2) whether plasma products by Bio Products Laboratory conform to the committee on proprietary medicinal products' requirements in terms of source material having been fully screened for hepatitis C at the donor level.
§ Mr. SackvillePlasma products supplied in this country will meet the requirements of the UK licensing authority and of the EC in relation to screening for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the Bio Products Laboratory is bound by commercial criteria in its policy on pricing products; and whether it is required to provide a commercial return on its activities.
§ Mr. SackvilleOur intention is that the Bio Products Laboratory should compete fairly in terms of the service, quality and price of its blood products within the Government's policy that this country should be self-sufficient in blood products derived from plasma donated by our voluntary unpaid donors. The Central Blood Laboratories Authority, which is responsible for the Bio Products Laboratory, accounts for its performance and publishes an annual report and financial statement.