Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of potential changes to the number of organ donations from a move to an opt-out system for organ donations; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of organ donors.

The Department will monitor the Opt-Out changes in legislation in Wales, to be introduced in December 2015, and the impact on donation rates. We continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to identify ways we can build on the significant increase in organ donations achieved since 2008, giving many more people the opportunity of a transplant.

A new seven year United Kingdom-wide organ donation and transplantation strategy was published by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) on 11 July 2013. In respect of increasing consent rates, the strategy encourages people to be proud to donate and aims to make the UK system comparable with the best of the world.

NHSBT continues to support work to increase donation and transplantation rates, particularly promoting collaborative working amongst organisations and raising awareness of donation in the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population.