STATEMENT FROM UK DONORLINK ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF THEIR UK REGISTER ON 21 APRIL 2004

The UK DonorLink Voluntary Information Exchange and Contact Register for donor conceived adults, siblings and donors is to be formally launched on Wednesday, 21 April by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Melanie Johnson MP. The event is to be chaired by David Hinchliffe, MP, Chair of the Health Select Committee and will be attended by Baroness Mary Warnock, donor conceived adults, donors, parents of donor conceived children and those with a professional interest.

Melanie Johnson said: "This is an early part of our commitment to aligning the position of donor-conceived people with that of adopted people. As a pilot voluntary contact register for people donor-conceived before 1991, UK DonorLink is unique to the UK. It will offer donor-conceived adults, and their donors, the opportunity to identify each other and make contact, if they wish. It is important that donor conceived people are given the opportunity to access information about their genetic origins and UK DonorLink will provide a forum for voluntary exchange of information via DNA testing. We wish UK DonorLink every success and we are demonstrating our commitment by providing �90k funding in the current year, in addition to the �70k we have provided previously."

Lyndsey Marshall, Manager of the UK DonorLink register said: �We encourage people to use the Register knowing that confidentiality is assured. There is no intention to track people down against their expressed wishes; indeed information can be exchanged without revealing the identity of either party, if desired. However we know that there are many people out there for whom the provision of such information will enable them to get on with their lives with fuller knowledge of their backgrounds�.

The UK DonorLink Register will enable adults who are genetically related through donor conception to voluntarily exchange information with each other and, if both parties wish, to have direct contact. UK DonorLink has been established following consultation determining the need for such a register.