Rob Merrifield on Question No. 164

With regard to the Minister of Health’s oversight of tissue banks: ( a ) when did Health Canada first become aware of potential safety breaches at the British Columbia Ear Bank; ( b ) when did the minister or her predecessors first become aware of the problems at the British Columbia Ear Bank; ( c ) what actions is Health Canada taking to ensure that recipients of tissue from the British Columbia Ear Bank did not contract an infectious disease; ( d ) why did Health Canada wait until February 19, 2003 to inform Canadians, though the clinic was shut down in October 2002; ( e ) what national standards are in place to regulate the collection, use and dissemination of human tissues such as those collected at the British Columbia Ear Bank; ( f ) when will Health Canada adopt and implement its own national standards; ( g ) when was the British Columbia Ear Bank first inspected by Health Canada; ( h ) are such tissue banks subject to regular inspections by Health Canada and, if so, when was such a regime put in place; and ( i ) what actions is Health Canada taking to ensure that problems such as those incurred at the British Columbia Ear Bank do not occur again?