Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Infected Blood: Support

Thursday 27 October 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • By the end of this week, all those infected and/or bereaved partners currently registered on UK infected blood support schemes will each receive an interim payment of 100,000.
  • The Government remain committed to meeting in full the interim recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff.
  • The Minister assured that families who have lost loved ones will be considered in the ongoing process, though he did not want to prejudge the entire process.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Duncan Baker
NHS
Context

The question arises from a need to address the impact of the infected blood scandal on individuals and families. The government has previously committed to support those affected.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support people affected by infected blood. By the end of this week, all those infected and/or bereaved partners currently registered on UK infected blood support schemes will each receive an interim payment of £100,000. The Government remain committed to meeting in full the interim recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

By the end of this week, all those infected and/or bereaved partners currently registered on UK infected blood support schemes will each receive an interim payment of £100,000. The Government remain committed to meeting in full the interim recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff. The payments build on the support already provided by the four United Kingdom schemes.

Answered
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Q2 Duncan Baker
NHS
Context

The question follows a commitment by the government to provide interim payments. There is concern about meeting the deadline due to its proximity.

Question

I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new position, and thank him for reaffirming that support. I am sure that all Members have constituents who have been deeply affected by the infected blood scandal. It is absolutely right for the Government to bring forward compensation payments. The concern is that the deadline is looming in just a few days. Can my right hon. Friend be absolutely sure that every single person affected across the country will receive the interim compensation payment by the end of October?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Like him, in a previous incarnation as a Minister in the Cabinet Office, I met with survivors. All of us, I think, who have met those survivors have been humbled by their courage and dignity. I can of course give my hon. Friend the assurance that he seeks. All four national Health Departments have confirmed that the payments will be made by the end of this week.

Answered
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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
NHS Northern Ireland
Context

The question addresses the situation where some families have lost loved ones who were potential recipients of compensation payments due to the scandal. There is a concern about the timing and fairness of these payments.

Question

I thank the Minister for that very positive response. Some of my constituents, and indeed people across Northern Ireland, will welcome the £100,000, but other families have lost loved ones who were potential recipients of that money. Can the Minister assure us that those families will receive the money, and will do so at a suitable time? In some cases, they have been waiting for 12 to 15 years.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

I understand and share the angst felt by those families at the time that this has taken. As the hon. Member will be aware, these are interim payments, and it is the start of a process. It would be wrong for me to prejudge the entire process, but I very much share and sympathise with his concerns, and I will ensure, as the responsible Minister, that those sentiments are represented.

Partly answered

Not addressed: the specific timing and fairness of compensation payments for families who lost loved ones due to infected blood.

How: It Would Be Wrong For Me To Prejudge The Entire Process

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