§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent England has been self-sufficient in blood supplies in each of the past five years; and how any surplus has been used or any deficit met.
§ Mr. SackvilleIn general, England has been self-sufficient in blood. Blood has a limited shelf life. Collections by the National Blood Transfusion Service are geared to maintaining that sufficiency and not to providing blood surplus to our requirements. Short-term deficits in supply have occasionally been met by obtaining blood from other parts of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantity of blood donated through the Blood Transfusion Service has gone to the private health sector in each of the last five years; and what proportion this forms of total donations.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not available. Much of the donated blood is processed and supplied to various users in a range of different forms.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 15 March, Official Report, c. 567, for information about the percentage of whole blood supplied to the private sector.