Organ Transplantation

Lord Cormack Excerpts

Monday 27th February 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

The noble Lord is quite right: 75 per cent of people from a BME background refuse to donate organs when asked to, compared with an average figure of 40 per cent across the population. We are completely committed to increasing organ donor rates among the BME population, and there has been funding to support specific projects to work with local faith leaders and explore issues around organ donation. We held a workshop on 7 February with national and local groups to identify the barriers that exist in the BME and mixed-race communities, and plans are being developed to take forward that work. We have public awareness campaigns on local radio stations and through organisations such as the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust.

[Lord Cormack]

My Lords, if a donor expressed his or her wish in a will, would that not be legally binding?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I am advised that it would not be legally binding.