← Back to House of Commons Debates
Infected Blood Inquiry Government Response 2025-05-14
14 May 2025
Lead MP
Nick Thomas-Symonds
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 23
At a Glance
Nick Thomas-Symonds raised concerns about infected blood inquiry government response 2025-05-14 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office opened the debate by stating that on May 20, 2024, an apology was issued for the use of infected blood and blood products. He reiterated this apology and emphasised the need for tangible changes in response to the inquiry’s recommendations. The Government published their initial response on December 17, 2024, committing to a comprehensive update within a year. The Minister also mentioned that compensation payments totalling more than £96 million had been made by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) as of May 6.
Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
The shadow Minister thanked the Minister for his statement and expressed concern about the pace of compensation roll-out. He asked whether the current pace is acceptable and if additional measures are being taken to expedite payments for dying victims. Wood also inquired about progress on recommendation 6 regarding monitoring liver damage for people with hepatitis C, and on recommendation 8 concerning offering blood tests to patients who had transfusions before 1996.
The Government have identified £11.8 billion to pay compensation, which is a significant budget commitment. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority has adopted a test-and-learn approach and I expect a significant increase in the pace of payments going forward.
Andrew Cooper
Lab
Mid Cheshire
Welcomed the fact that the Government have identified £11.8 billion to pay compensation, but expressed concern about the pace of payments and the clarity of evidential requirements for families to prepare for claims.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
Welcomed the introduction of the infected blood compensation scheme but expressed alarm at the slow roll-out, with only 106 people receiving payments. Raised concerns about delays in evidence gathering and called for a duty of candour on public officials to prevent similar scandals.
Ian Lavery
Lab
Blyth and Ashington
Expressed frustration at the lack of progress with claims being processed, highlighting the stress and mental torment individuals are experiencing while waiting for their cases to be reviewed.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Ash
Complimented the Paymaster General's approach but expressed concern that IBCA is not processing claims quickly enough, suggesting a target of processing more than 90% by the end of this year.
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Asked about the personal attention needed for the compensation scheme's effective operation and requested an update on a memorial dedicated to children infected at Treloar’s.
Alice Macdonald
Lab Co-op
Norwich North
Emphasised urgency in processing claims, asked about updates provided to individuals making claims, and requested details on the support available for those cases.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Questioned about the culture of institutional defensiveness within civil service and whether there would be any criminal sanctions for those involved in denying victims compensation.
Jonathan Brash
Lab
Hartlepool
Expressed concern regarding the entitlement to compensation for deceased victims' estates, requested a meeting to discuss Alex's case where her father died due to infected blood products.
Pete Wishart
SNP
Perth and Kinross-shire
Asked about the discrepancy in support payments for bereaved partners with differing registration dates, requested a review of this unfairness.
James Naish
Lab
Rushcliffe
Welcomed the funding allocated to charities by the Government and asked for clarity on steps taken to ensure the money reaches these organisations.
Liz Jarvis
Lib Dem
Eastleigh
Asked about reassurances for Gary Webster, a Treloar’s boy with HIV and hepatitis C, regarding his eligibility for compensation before he dies.
Tom Collins
Lab
Worcester
Addressed concerns of families in Worcester over delays in claiming support payments after losing spouses due to infected blood products.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Asked for individual target dates for applicants contacting IBCA and questioned whether the organisation has sufficient resources to speed up processes.
Minister of State for Paymaster General, Department for Work and Pensions
Answered questions on the progress of compensation payments, confirmed £96 million paid out so far, committed to speeding up payments, acknowledged concerns about special category mechanism and its translation into health supplemental route.
Responded to queries regarding specific constituents' situations, committed to investigate cases where victims feel worse off under new compensation schemes, agreed to look at correspondence for Helen's case, assured of payments starting by the end of the year.
Ben Lake
PC
Ceredigion Preseli
Asked if victims should not be worse off in transition from interim payments to new compensation scheme, raised concerns about specific constituent who feels significantly reduced compared to previous offer under special category mechanism.
Gregory Stafford
Con
Farnham and Bordon
Expressed concern for Helen, a constituent with stage 4B ovarian cancer whose partner died from infected blood in 1994, requested speeding up process for those affected with limited time.
Ian Sollom
LD
St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
Highlighted case of a constituent infected with hepatitis C at age 15, suffering from mental and physical illness since then, questioned the lack of formal acknowledgment and support payments for unregistered victims between 1991-1996.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
Acknowledged Clive Smith's advocacy work, requested reassurance on compensation delivery speed and simplicity of application process for those affected by infected blood scandal.
Tom Gordon
LD
Harrogate and Knaresborough
Asked about changes to special category mechanism affecting supplementary regulations and the provision for bringing compensation in line with those having cirrhosis, requested explanation and redress for affected cohort.
Tessa Munt
LD
Wells and Mendip Hills
Expressed distress over special category mechanism's impact on compensation levels, highlighted cases where healthier individuals receive more compensation than those in poorer health despite same conditions being recognised by inquiry and Government experts.
Government Response
Government Response
The Paymaster General reiterated the Government's commitment to addressing the infected blood scandal, acknowledging the community's concerns about compensation delays and the need for speedier delivery of full payments. He also detailed efforts on specific recommendations such as compensation funding (£500,000), charity support, and legislative changes towards a duty of candour in public services. The Government have identified £11.8 billion to pay compensation and IBCA has adopted a test-and-learn approach, which is now complete, leading to an expected significant increase in payments. The Minister emphasised the importance of holding IBCA accountable for progress. Emphasised the importance of a national memorial dedicated specifically to infected children at Treloar’s, highlighted the need for cross-UK cooperation with devolved administrations, provided updates on support schemes and compensation payments, and committed to reviewing cases where there are gaps in support. Responded to concerns regarding compensation speed, reassurance on special category mechanism translation, commitment to review and address specific constituent cases.
Shadow Response
Mike Wood
Shadow Response
The shadow Minister expressed appreciation for the Government's progress but urged them to expedite compensation delivery and address specific recommendations, particularly concerning liver damage monitoring and testing of undiagnosed individuals.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.