Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 June (WA 14) on the Government's response to the report of the Independent Public Inquiry on Contaminated NHS Blood Products made by Written Statement on 20 May (WS 121–2), when after 20 May a debate was held on the response, as such a debate was implied by the words in the Written Answer stating that his department's contact with the Whips' Office was about "a further debate" on the Government's response.
Answer
Since 20 May 2009, no debate has been held in the House of Lords on the Government's response to Lord Archer's independent inquiry into National Health Service (NHS) supplied contaminated blood and blood products. The reference to "further debate" in a previous reply (WA 14) was intended to relate to the most recent request for a debate on Lord Archer's report following the one secured on 23 April 2009, and the debates in the Lords on this issue during the Committee and Report stages of the Health Bill, as opposed to any debate specifically on the Government's response to Lord Archer's report. The department approached the Government Whips' Office by telephone to discuss a further debate in light of what was said in the Health Bill debate. It is for the Government Whips' Office to decide in the order of debates and other business in the House.