asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill) on 12 February, Official Report, column 155, and in the light of the expert medical views that lesbians carry the least risk of infection from the acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus, if he will immediately develop a programme to encourage lesbians to give blood with a view to it being used for the production of heat-treated factor VIII.

We actively encourage everyone who is not in a group at high risk from AIDS to donate blood.