PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to make promoting bone marrow donation a priority for the Government in the coming months.

He made his comments during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Commons yesterday after a question by Colne Valley MP Kali Mountford.

The PM said: “The promotion of blood, bone marrow and organ donation is a priority and we’re looking at what we can do.”

Ms Mountford put the question as part of a bid to win Government support for the Examiner’s campaign to recruit more bone marrow donors, which is being spearheaded by our journalist Adrian Sudbury.

Adrian, 26, is dying from leukaemia and is using his last weeks to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donors and to campaign for better education about the issue, focusing on sixth formers and college students.

His campaign has seen him featured in the press, on TV and radio worldwide.

He has met the Prime Minister, Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Ed Balls, Secretary for Children, Schools and Families, and won the backing of all three.

During Question Time Ms Mountford told the Commons she was sure that Mr Brown and the other two ministers would have been impressed by Adrian’s courage.

The Prime Minister replied that the Government was looking at what it could do to help Adrian’s campaign.

He added: “The key issue is whether we can encourage people to be donors.

“I believe that in the next few months we will be able to put forward proposals that will assist many other people who suffer as a result of such illnesses.”

Both the Prime Minister and Mr Johnson have already suggested the idea of making a video – possibly starring celebrities – that could be played in colleges to educate students about blood, organ and bone marrow donation.

Plans for making a public awareness campaign on TV are also being investigated.

After Question Time many MPs approached Ms Mountford to express their support for the campaign and pledged to promote it in their areas.

Ms Mountford said: “Every single politician in there was quite taken by it. I am encouraged and there is an amazing amount of interest.

“Some of the people coming on board with the campaign will be a fantastic resource for the future in their local areas.”

Adrian said he was pleased his message had been given such a high- profile platform as Prime Minister’s Question Time.

“It is not bad to have your campaign talked about in Parliament. It is a start that the Prime Minister has made the issue a priority,” he said.

“Now we will keep our campaign going and keep pushing specifically for education to be focussed on 17 and 18-year-olds.”

The Government also plans to expand its Give And Let Live scheme in schools from September. It aims to give pupils aged 14 to 16 an understanding of blood, organ and marrow donation.

Adrian has written back to Mr Balls and Mr Johnson welcoming the scheme, but pushing home his message that education should be extended to the 17 and 18-year-old age group.

He said: “It’s really great news, but we need to not lose the focus of our campaign, which is to educate older students about donating.

“It’s really important that there’s also a more adult talk introduced for second-year sixth-form students. This is because you can’t join a bone marrow register until you are 18, so this age group is critical.

“If there was one talk at 15 then a follow-up at 17 to 18 that would be incredible.

“If that comes off then we will probably have the best education about donation in the world.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is also supporting Adrian’s campaign. Mr Clegg is MP for Sheffield Hallam, the constituency where Adrian lives.

He said: “It is extremely important to raise public awareness about bone marrow donation. We must do all we can to ensure people know the potential of bone marrow donation for saving lives.”

A petition supporting Adrian’s call for sixth form students to be educated about donation as standard has now passed the 5,000 signatures mark.

The petition, on the Downing Street website, has gathered 5,070 names in just over two weeks.

You can show your support and sign by visiting http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bone-marrow