To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings officials have had with strategic health authority chief executives on the service level agreement applied to the provision of Recombinant Factor VIII to haemophiliacs; and whether the service level agreement has been finalised.

On 12 February 2003 the Government announced an extra £88 million over three years to extend the availability of recombinant (synthetic) clotting factors for adult haemophiliacs in England. To help extend the availability of recombinant, the Government provided the following additional funding:

This funding was made available following a long campaign by the haemophilia lobby groups. Funding was available from the programme budget.

The roll-out programme for recombinant began in January 2004, and all haemophilia patients in England are now eligible for treatment with recombinant products.

Funding is now allocated to strategic health authorities through the national health service bundle, and will be managed through a service level agreement.