§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with European colleagues regarding organ trafficking(a) across Europe and (b) on a global level; and what proposals there are to tackle this practice. [121094]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonI have been asked to reply.
The Department of Health, together with colleagues in the Home Office, is negotiating a draft European Union Framework Decision on the prevention and control of trafficking in human organs and tissues.
In addition, the Department has been working with the 45 member states of the Council of Europe, which includes the member states of the European Union, to develop a recommendation on steps to be taken to minimise the risk of organ trafficking throughout the area.
The United Nations has also developed an Additional Protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime dealing with the trafficking of persons. It makes it a criminal offence to traffic a person for the purpose of removing an organ. The Protocol has yet to come into force.