§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list the departmental responsibilities in respect of xenotransplantation.[16457]
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§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 19 November 1997]The United Kingdom Health Departments are responsible for regulating the development of xenotransplantation as a medical procedure. The United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA) was established in January 1997 to advise my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State responsible for the UK Health Departments, on the safety and efficacy and any other pre-conditions for xenotransplantation for human use and the acceptability of any specific applications to proceed with xenotransplantation in humans. The UKXIRA also provides a focal point on xenotransplantation issues across Government. All the Departments concerned have regular contact on specific issues and meet occasionally in an Inter-departmental Group on Xenotransplantation.
Other Departments with specific interests in aspects of the development of xenotransplantation include:-
the Home Office, with regard to its responsibilities for the use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986;the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Health and Safety Executive in relation to legislation controlling Genetically Modified Organisms in respect of Human Health and safety and environmental protection;the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in relation to any potential use of animals, bred in the development of xenotransplantation, within the food chain, the welfare of farm animals and the importation of animals or animal tissue;the Department of Trade and Industry in relation to the sponsorship of the industrial exploitation of biotechnology and, through the Science Budget, underpinning basic and strategic research in the fields of biomedical sciences.