[holding answer 8 February 2007]: I understand that over 10 years ago, Sir Richard Branson offered to donate £1.5 million to support an NHS cord blood bank, on condition that the Department matched that sum. At the time the Department had already allocated considerably more than £1.5 million to establishing the NHS cord blood bank, therefore Sir Richard’s offer did not materialise. We are not aware of any more recent offer.
Since 2003-04 the NHS cord blood bank, one of the few internationally accredited cord blood banks in the world, has received nearly £4.5 million from the Department to support the work of the cord blood bank.