To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department gave to providing witnesses to give evidence in public to the Archer Inquiry into contaminated blood and blood products. (261082)

The Department has never received any formal request to give evidence to the inquiry. There are no serving officials who would have any first hand knowledge of the events being investigated. However, the Department has fully co-operated with the inquiry, meeting with Lord Archer's team several times and supplying copies of relevant official documents.