§ Norman Baker"To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the review commissioned by UKXIRA from Professor Sheila McLean into xenotransplantation; and if he will make a statement. [125181]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department of Health commissioned a series of three reviews on different aspects of xenotransplantation on behalf of the United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (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.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on xenotransplantation. [125281]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority was established in 1997 to advise the Government on the acceptability of specific applications to undertake xenotransplantation procedures (the transplantation of live cells, tissues and organs from a non-human source into a human). It also acts as a focal point for xenotransplantation issues. Organisations undertaking research into xenotransplantation in the United Kingdom are required to comply with all relevant legislation. No clinical trials involving humans have yet been approved in the UK and currently no relevant organ transplant research is licensed in the UK under the Animals (Science Procedures) Act 1986.