To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will identify for each national health service region the value of sales of blood and blood products outside national health service services.

[holding answer 23 May 1990]: Health authorities make a handling charge designed to recover the costs of supplying whole blood and blood components to non-NHS hospitals. No charge is made for the blood itself which is freely donated by volunteer donors.Information derived from the annual accounts of health authorities for 1988–89 (the latest available) is as follows:

Income from blood handling charges
Region	(£)
Northern	17,930
Yorkshire	61,198
Trent	66,069
East Anglia	67,564
North West Thames	621,618
North East Thames	82,686
South East Thames	474,276
South West Thames
Essex	87,733
Oxford	92,085
South Western	92,833
West Midlands	203,333
Mersey	19,597
North Western	93,725
Totals	1,980,647

Information on the sales of blood products manufactured by the bio-products laboratory, whether to NHS or non-NHS hospitals is commercially confidential.

	Net weekly income		Net weekly income after housing costs and community charge		Marginal deduction rate
	October 1989	April 1990	October 1989	April 1990	October 1989	April 1990
Single person
Gross earnings (per week)
50	65·49	68·19	39·69	41·77	86	82
100	82·4	83·67	56·6	57·25	34	34
150	115·4	116·67	89·6	90·25	34	34
200	148·4	149·67	122·6	123·25	34	34
Married couple
Gross earnings (per week)
50	72·81	79·17	47·01	46·04	90	90
100	92·88	102·92	67·08	69·79	90	87
150	123·04	127·08	97·24	93·95	34	44
200	156·04	157·94	130·24	124·81	34	34
Married couple, two children (assumed aged 5 and 12)
Gross earnings (per week)
50	131·86	143·05	101·06	106·15	86	82
100	134·22	146·55	103·42	109·65	84	80
150	143·57	154·96	112·77	118·06	80	80
200	170·54	173·14	139·74	136·24	34	34