This Government has previously said how sorry it is that these events occurred, and has expressed deep regret for the pain and misery that many have suffered as a result, 10 January 2011, Official Report, column 33W. I would like to re-iterate those sentiments.

There are no plans to mark 2013 as the 30th anniversary of the first haemophiliac fatality attributed to contaminated NHS-supplied blood products. This Government has already said how sorry it is that this happened, and has expressed deep regret for the pain and misery that many have suffered as a result.

NHS Blood and Transplant, which provides blood for transfusion to hospitals in England and North Wales, does not check levels of lead in either potential blood donors or donated blood.

Significant lead poisoning usually results in anaemia, as lead affects a person's ability to form haemoglobin (iron). All potential blood donors have their iron levels tested prior to donation and must have a minimum iron

level before they can donate. Donors who have been exposed to high levels of lead will therefore not be able to donate because their low iron levels would prevent them from meeting the donation criteria.

NHS Blood and Transplant has developed a free teaching resource pack called ‘Give and Let Live’,

available for schools to order. It contains a teachers' booklet which includes case studies and background information about the need for more donors and aims to enable young people to see how they can make a difference to people's lives, by raising awareness about donation and demonstrating the benefits of blood, organ and bone marrow donation. The pack also includes an interactive website that features games, quizzes, fact sheets and short films. The pack is aimed at students of 14 and over but can be adapted specifically for students aged 16 to 18.

I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on drug driving on 7 March 2013.

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.

As with any type of major incident, the Department and the national health service have plans in place to be able to respond effectively to minimise harm to the United Kingdom population arising from accidental or malicious use of radiological material.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has robust plans for the loss of any blood centre. In the event of the loss of one or more processing centres, the blood supply system would be able to run an emergency service, with donations for processing and hospital deliveries diverted to an alternative centre.

There are three potential consequences, which would impact on blood supply that could result from the type of scenario outlined; loss of blood processing capacity, mass trauma requiring significant use of blood for treatment and the health consequences of irradiation.

NHSBT holds stocks to support a mass trauma incident adequate to meet the anticipated needs of such an event without affecting other requests for blood and plasma. However, there are also plans to alert donors to the need to collect blood at short notice if rapid replenishment becomes necessary.

The treatment of radiation poisoning would require blood, plasma and platelets. NHSBT obtains platelets from platelet-only donors, and also extracts platelets from whole blood donations. In the event of increased demand for platelets at short notice, there is capacity to increase the number of therapeutic doses of platelets obtained through existing stocks of whole blood.

NHSBT has a command and control system within its emergency response, which allows the organisation to respond to emergencies. Staff are aware of their responsibilities in such a scenario and have received training which will allow NHSBT to take rapid decisions that would support the ongoing operation of the blood supply chain.

As announced in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 17 January (Official Report, col. WS 56) the Government have decided to seek private sector investment in Plasma Resources UK Ltd through the sale of the majority or all of the shares in the company. We are taking this action to support the company and its employees in the next phase of its development.

Investment will not only allow continued improvements to the existing products but also the potential development of new treatments to create a better product portfolio. Resources will also be used to ensure that the facilities keep pace with the latest technology so the company can achieve its full potential. Overall, the investment will play a key part in ensuring the continued supply of high-quality products to patients.

Potential investors will need to show not just the level of resources they are willing to make available but also set out a credible plan as to how the operations will be grown and how products will be developed.

Security of supply of products to patients is of paramount importance to this Government and is one of the key objectives integral to all the options being considered as part of the sale process. Bio Products Laboratory Ltd’s supply to National Health Service trusts will continue to be governed by existing supply agreements, and the department will continue to ensure that effective legal and commercial structures are in place to ensure that ongoing security of supply from all suppliers is maintained.

People from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities remain significantly under-represented across all forms of donation. The refusal rate of BAME families to consent to family members’ organs being used for transplant is nearly 80%, compared to an average 25% nationally, and only 1% of blood donors in England and North Wales are from BAME backgrounds.

The Department established the National BAME Transplant Alliance (NBTA) in 2012 to bring together campaigning organisations to tackle the problem of low organ and stem cell donor and transplantation rates among the BAME community. It has also allocated £8 million since 2010 to improve stem cell transplant services. This work has seen an increase in the number of umbilical cord blood units donated from BAME mothers.

NHS Blood and Transplant runs regular blood and organ donor recruitment campaigns which encourage members of BAME communities to become donors. This includes plans to extend direct collaboration with local authorities in ethnically diverse areas.

We are making progress across all donation areas and, since 2010, there has been an increase of 14% in bone marrow donors on the British Bone Marrow Registry, 3% increase in active blood donors and 39% increase on the Organ Donor Register.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood to hospitals in England and North Wales.

NHSBT runs regular campaigns to encourage new and existing donors to donate platelets. In March 2012 NHSBT launched a platelet donation website. To provide further information on platelet donation, making it easier for those wishing to donate to check basic eligibility, find information on local donor sessions and book appointments. The website can be found at:

http://www.blood.co.uk/platelets/

NHSBT also uses social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to recruit donors through campaigns such as National Blood Week. As platelet donation requires a greater time commitment than whole blood donation, NHSBT focuses campaigns towards encouraging existing loyal whole blood donors to give a blood sample to test their eligibility to donate platelets.

These campaigns are part of a dedicated strategy developed by NHSBT to secure the safety and sufficiency of platelet supply. The strategy seeks to accommodate growth in demand for platelets by improving productivity, making more efficient use of capacity in existing centres, and implementing key performance measures, including

satisfaction with the service NHSBT provides to these committed individuals, who are asked to donate at least eight to 10 times a year.

Eligibility for employment and support allowance (ESA) is based on an individual’s functional capability rather than their health condition or disability. We have no current plans to change to eligibility criteria for the Support Group of ESA.

However, a wide range of ways in which claimants can qualify for the Support Group already exist in legislation including being terminally ill. Existing processes ensure that, where possible, relevant information in support of a claim is gathered before any face-to-face assessment takes place which is then used to place individuals into the Support Group where they meet the criteria.

It is important to recognise that any health condition will affect people in different ways, manifest by a wide spectrum of symptoms and functional effects. That is why we assess each case individually to determine if someone is entitled to benefit and whether it is appropriate to help them prepare for a return to work.

The data requested are not held by the Department in the requested format—we do not collect data on Work Capability Assessment outcomes on Skipton Fund Stage 2 receipts.

The eligibility criteria for the winter payments have been set by the Trustees of the Caxton Foundation. All infected individuals and widows of infected individuals registered with the Foundation will automatically receive a winter payment.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood to hospitals in England and North Wales.

The number of units of blood collected is set out in the following table:

The following table shows the number of known deaths, as at 23 November 2012, in each calendar year for recipients of a Skipton Fund Limited stage 2 payment, since it began making payments in 2004.

There are a number of uncertainties in these data. These include some estimated dates of death and a further 203 stage two beneficiaries whose status is unknown. This is because the Skipton Fund did not maintain regular contact with beneficiaries before the introduction of regular payments in 2011, and no longer has up to date contact details for them.

There are no equivalent consistent data held for recipients of a stage one payment, as neither the Skipton Fund Limited, nor the Department, are routinely notified of these deaths.

During the course of the Department's review of the support available to individuals infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS-supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants in the autumn of 2010, my predecessor and departmental officials sought views from the Haemophilia Society, Tainted Blood, the Manor House Group, as well as a number of individuals who have been affected by hepatitis C. The Department also convened an expert group of clinical and scientific experts to provide advice on the natural history of hepatitis C infection. The expert advice which Ministers received during the course of the review informed the decision not to change the existing Skipton Fund stage 1 payment. Details can be found in the report of the ‘Review of the Support Available to Individuals Infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS-Supplied Blood Transfusions or Blood Products and their Dependants’, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.

The purpose of the expert group was not to advise the Department on potential changes to the Skipton Fund, but to provide independent clinical and scientific advice on the natural history of hepatitis C infection. The group made no comment about the provision of ongoing payments to HCV stage 1 patients.