I am aware that the chairperson of the board expressed concern at a recent board meeting about the financial situation involving specific items including its new IT system and the additional costs of measures being implemented by the board to further reduce the possible risk of transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion. I have assured the board of my commitment to ensure that it is adequately resourced to introduce necessary new measures to further improve blood safety. The IBTS will discuss the costs of these measures with my Department which includes additional donor recruitment programmes which are necessary arising from the decision to defer donors who resided in the UK for a cumulative period of five years. In relation to the IT programme, my Department is finalising discussions with the IBTS concerning additional investment in this state of the art system which I understand will be operational in a matter of weeks.