Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Welsh Government's Evaluation of the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act which found that after the change in organ donation law in Wales the quarterly mean average of organ donation fell from 14.6 to 13.4.

A consultation impact assessment, Consultation on an opt-out system of organ and tissue donation, has been published as part of the Government’s public consultation. A copy is attached. This suggests that, when introduced as part of a wider communication and logistical package, opt out systems of consent can be associated with higher donation rates. Important evidence continues to become available from the Welsh Government on impact of the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act 2013, including that a longer period of time is needed to draw firmer conclusions on the impact of the change in the law. The Department invites further evidence to be submitted on factors not considered in the consultation analysis. These will be carefully considered before the Government’s final response to the consultation.