To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set for organ donation; and what performance has been against those targets in the last period for which figures are available. (181834)

The Government have not set any formal performance targets in relation to organ donation.

The Government have, however, recently accepted a number of recommendations from the Organ Donation Taskforce, which the Taskforce believe will see organ donation rates rise by 50 per cent. within five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of donated organs; whether any discussions have taken place on creating a system of presumed consent; and if he will make a statement. (182744)

In 2006, the Organ Donation Taskforce was convened to identify barriers to organ donation, analyse factors militating against organ donation and make recommendations for increasing donation rates within existing legal frameworks. The Taskforce’s report “Organs for Transplants: A report from the Organ Donation Taskforce” was published on 16 January 2008 and contains a number of major recommendations designed to strengthen the infrastructure for organ donation and transplantation. The Government have accepted the recommendations, in full, and implementation is already under way. Copies of the Taskforce’s report are available in the Library.

The Taskforce has now been asked to consider the implications of changing to a system of presumed consent for organ donation in the United Kingdom, including the practical, clinical, ethical, legal and societal issues. The Taskforce has established expert working groups to advise on these issues and will report initial findings to Ministers in the summer.