Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con

The next item of business is a statement by Malcolm Chisholm on variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. As normal, the minister will take questions at the end of ...

The Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm): Lab

Members will recall that on 18 December I drew their attention to a single incident in England in which it appeared that, for the first time anywhere in the ...

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): SNP

I thank the minister for early sight of his statement. He seems to share the general concern that the risks that flow from blood donations from variant CJD s...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

I thank Stewart Stevenson for his opening remarks. He has asked three specific questions, the first of which covered quite a few areas. I think that he was r...

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): Con

I, too, thank the minister for providing an advance copy of his statement. The whole issue is a matter of public confidence and I think that all members in t...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

I thank David Davidson for his opening remarks and his three questions. In answer to his first question, malaria is certainly the only disease for which I am...

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): LD

I know that we have the advisory committee on the microbiological safety of blood and tissues. Given the problem of patients' being infected with HIV, hepati...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

I am certainly confident that the blood is as safe as possible. As far as HIV and hepatitis C are concerned, those problems are very much in the past and rel...

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): Lab

What information can be provided to current blood donors to ensure that they check their medical records and find out whether they received blood transfusion...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

Margaret Jamieson's suggestion that people who are uncertain should check whether that information is available is a good one. The advisory committee on the ...

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): Green

I thank the minister for his statement, which I welcome and fully support. My question follows on from Margaret Jamieson's question. Do the measures in quest...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

Phil Gallie raised Eleanor Scott's final point in December and I wrote to him about it. The age limit was raised relatively recently and people can now donat...

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): Ind

I support the minister's statement and welcome the precautionary measures that he has outlined. Will he elaborate on any chats that he has had with his Europ...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

I have had no personal chats with European counterparts on that issue, although obviously, as I indicated, the SNBTS has been in contact with other countries.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): Lab

I thank the minister for his statement and for his actions to secure an on-going source of blood for the SNBTS.Will the minister also support on-going resear...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

I join Ken Macintosh in praising the Western general hospital in Edinburgh for its work in that area and, indeed, in many others. Research into the area is o...

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

I remind the minister of the evidence that he gave to the Health Committee on 9 September 2003 in the context of hepatitis C, when he indicated that he would...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

We should not try to roll the issues of hepatitis C and variant CJD into one, as the two issues are quite separate. Obviously, we have not favoured the wider...

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): Con

Over the years, it has been obvious that restrictions on blood donors have increased quite significantly, partly because of foreign travel and other such mat...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

That is an entirely positive and helpful suggestion and no doubt those who have responsibility for such matters in the Parliament heard it.

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): Lab

I thank the minister for his statement and recognise the reasons for the precautionary steps that he has announced. I also welcome the emphasis that the mini...

Malcolm Chisholm: Lab

It is important to emphasise that side of the issue. In the middle of my statement, I said:"We believe that the risk of any individual having been infected w...

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con

That concludes questions to the minister on his statement.