Mrs. Irene Adams

Part of Human Tissue Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:10 am on 27 January 2004.

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Photo of Rosie Winterton Rosie Winterton The Minister of State, Department of Health 9:10, 27 January 2004

I beg to move,

That—

(1) during proceedings on the Human Tissue Bill, the Standing Committee, in addition to its first sitting on Tuesday 27th January 2004 at 9.10 a.m., shall meet on that day at 2.30 p.m. and on Thursday 29th January, Tuesday 3rd February and Thursday 5th February at 9.10 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.;

(2) the Committee shall consider the Bill in the following order: Clause 1, Schedule 1, Clauses 2 to 10, Schedule 2, Clauses 11 to 13, Schedule 3, Clauses 14 to 35, Schedule 4, Clauses 36 to 46, Schedule 5, Clauses 47 to 50, Schedule 6, Clauses 51 to 57, New Clauses, New Schedules, Clause 58, Schedule 7, Clause 59, Schedule 8, Clauses 60 to 63 and remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(3) proceedings in the Committee on the Bill shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5 p.m. on Thursday 5th February 2004.

May I welcome you to the Chair, Mrs. Adams? This is the first Bill that I will have taken through Committee, and it will be wonderful to do so under your guidance.

The Bill is an important measure that seeks to balance the legitimate rights and expectations of families with equally important but broader public health considerations. It will make consent the clear basis for the keeping and use of tissue organs, and will restore confidence so that important health research can proceed with the support of patients, families and the public. It will ensure that events such as those highlighted in the Alder Hey, Bristol and Isaacs inquiry reports will not happen again. It also provides an opportunity to establish a consistent and comprehensive framework, in which principles of consent will apply to all medical uses of human bodies, organs and tissue.

I am sure that members of the Committee will find much common ground, as was the case on Second Reading. It will be good for us to proceed in that spirit. It will be cosy on the Labour Benches in this Room. We recognise the contributions of professional and family groups in delivering the broad consensus that lies behind the proposals in the Bill. I am looking forward to the discussions, and to the assistance of Committee members in delivering what my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) described on Second Reading as

''a landmark Bill, of which we shall all be proud.''—[Official Report, 15 January 2004; Vol. 416, c. 1012.]