Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline are of review of blood donations policy.

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) decided at its meeting in January 2016 to carry out a review of deferral criteria for blood donors in relation to risks both from sexually transmitted diseases and from infections potentially transmitted by other routes, for example, tattooing or intravenous drug use.

The process will fully involve stakeholders (who can share thinking with and seek feedback from their communities), and will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice. The terms of reference will be published once approved by SaBTO.