§ Mr. GodsiffTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department does not intend to publish the findings of the report which it commissioned on the legality of xenotransplantation from Professor McLean and Dr. Williamson at the University of Glasgow. [123334]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA) advises my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, on issues about xenotransplantation (transplantation of live animal organs and cells into humans). The Department of Health commissioned a series of three reviews on different aspects of xenotransplantation on behalf of the UKXIRA between 1999 and 2001. The first two—on infection and on physiology—were published 2001 and 2002. A third review, on the legal and ethical aspects of xenotransplantation, was commissioned from Professor Sheila McLean, of the University of Glasgow, who was also a member of the UKXIRA from 1997 to 2002.
The UKXIRA has considered the review and concluded that it made some useful discussion points and that the summary of the research papers should be placed on the UKXIRA website. While there are no plans to publish Professor McLean's whole review as a Department of Health/UKXIRA document, Professor McLean is free to publish it if she wishes.