§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether human body parts such as skin, tendons, heart valves, bones and dura mater are exported from the United Kingdom; and, if so, from where these originate, with what safeguards, to what annual value, and who receives this value. [HL2646]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Tissue banks within the National Health Service collect material in accordance with the Human Tissue Act 1961 and in compliance with the Committee on Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation's "Guidance on the microbiological safety of human tissues and organs used in transplantation". Priority is given to supplying the NHS, but some excess human tissues, for example skin and heart valves, may be exported to recognised medical institutions on a cost recovery basis. Details about the export of tissues are not held centrally.
Commercial dealing in human organs and tissues is prohibited by law (the Human Organ Transplant Act (1989)).
Dura mater is no longer used or banked by the NHS.