§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what safeguards are in place to prevent infection from lethal transmissible diseases occurring as a result of the transportation into the United Kingdom of amniotic fluids, blood samples, and human tissues;
(2) what records are kept by her Department of the import into the country of human tissue samples through (a) Heathrow airport, (b) other airports and (c) other terminals;
(3) what examination is undertaken of imported human tissue for HIV-AIDS and hepatitis B and EB;
(4) what proposal she has to control the import of human tissues from south-east Asia;
(5) what precautions are in place for workers at points of entry into the United Kingdom in respect of possible infection from the import of amniotic fluids, blood samples and human tissues.
§ Mr. SackvilleFor pathology samples transported by air, compliance with the International Air Transport Association restricted articles regulations is needed, together with compliance with any additional requirements of individual carriers. For the importation, transportation and handling of certain pathogens listed in the Health and Safety (Dangerous Pathogens) Regulations 1981, all the provisions of which have today been subsumed into the new Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994, prior notification to the Health and Safety Executive and health Ministers is required. Further regulations apply to the transportation of the samples from the point of entry to the receiving laboratory, including, as appropriate, Post Office regulations and the Health and Safety Executive's Regulations on the Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Goods for Carriage by Road and Rail 1994. Laboratories will carry out tests in accordance with the sender's request, and in so doing will observe Health Service Advisory Committee guidance on safe working and the prevention of infection in clinical laboratories, and guidance prepared by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens. In all work situations, the potential for exposure to infection from material either in transit or under examination has to be assessed under COSHH and the appropriate safe working procedures adopted.
Information is not available centrally on the quantity of pathology samples sent from abroad, and in the light of the safeguards which apply we have no proposals to introduce further controls.