Minutes of the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT) vCJD Subgroup, Skipton House, re seminar on ethical and social issues surrounding a blood test for vCJD; legal position on disclosure; risk assessment; target repeat reactive rate; amendment to Annex II list A of the in vitro diagnostic devices directive; clarification of the boundaries for DH involvement in the NBS evaluation work; standards; archive storage temperature; standard protocol for processing blood samples; availability of clinical specimens; NCJDSU blood component separation protocol; standards and reference reagents for detection of vCJD infectivity in blood and blood products; feedback from the SEAC Epidemiology Subgroup meeting on 12 May; draft contingency plan for the introduction of a blood screening test for vCJD. Chairperson Prof Don Jeffries; Attendees Dr Trevor Barrowcliffe, Dr Jonathan Clewley, Dr Roger Elgin, Peter Garwood, Prof James Ironside, Dr Kieran Morris, Dr Neil Raven, Graham Rowe, Dr John Saunders, Dr Marc Turner, Dr Peter Bennett, Jill Dhell, Dr Philippa Edwards, Dr Rowena Jecock, Dr Denise OShaughnessy, Sara Johnson, Dr Linda Lazars, Charles Lister