Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS Trusts on (a) increasing the number of hospitals that are able to collect umbilical cord blood for transport and (b) promoting the donation of umbilical cord blood for transplant.

NHS Blood and Transport (NHSBT) manages the NHS Cord Blood Bank and provides specialist services related to the provision of stem cells which can turn into blood cells for the treatment of blood cancers. This service is an integral part of the Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry. NHSBT is also responsible for raising awareness of these issues, in collaboration with its delivery partners. NHSBT has informed the Department that it has no plans to open new collection centres at present.