Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Infected Blood Compensation Scheme

Thursday 5 June 2025 · 4 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Matthew Patrick raised concerns about the long-term distress and compensation wait faced by victims in Wirral West.
  • Kate Osamor highlighted discrimination and mistrust among black and Asian victims of the infected blood scandal.
  • John Glen welcomed progress made by IBCA and noted the prioritization of contacting living victims.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matthew Patrick Lab Wirral West
NHS
Context

The scheme aims to provide compensation to victims of infected blood products. Matthew Patrick's constituent became a victim over 50 years ago and is seeking closure through financial security.

Question

In Wirral West, my constituent became a victim of this scandal over 50 years ago when she was a child, and it has affected her life ever since. In her own words, victims have gone through horrible levels of distress, and now they wait for compensation. That wait is not just for financial security; it is for closure. Could the Minister please give me and my constituent assurances that the speed at which the payments will be made will be ramped up?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds (Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office)

My hon. Friend’s constituent is entirely right to talk about the deep distress that victims have been through. IBCA is contacting an average of 100 people to start their claim every week, and expect to have brought into claim all those who are infected and registered with a support scheme this calendar year. I will continue to support IBCA to deliver compensation as quickly as possible.

Answered
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Q2 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
NHS
Context

The infected blood inquiry heard from black and Asian victims who say that they were even more dramatically let down due to discrimination, which has helped to create an understandable mistrust of the authorities and a lack of faith that justice will be done.

Question

The infected blood inquiry heard from black and Asian victims who say that they were even more dramatically let down due to discrimination, which has helped to create an understandable mistrust of the authorities and a lack of faith that justice will be done. Please could the Minister ensure that he does all he can to reach out to all communities to encourage everyone who is entitled to apply for the compensation scheme to do so?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds (Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the need to reach out to all communities and ensure that every single victim secures justice. I assure her that that is absolutely what the Government are committed to doing.

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Q3 John Glen Con Salisbury
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Minister is not directly responsible for the speed of compensation rollout but John Glen suggests setting up a metric to hold IBCA accountable.

Question

I welcome the progress that is being made by IBCA. Of course, the Minister is not directly responsible for how quickly that is rolling out. I note that IBCA has announced that its plan is to prioritise those infected who are still alive; indeed, my constituent Daryn Craik was contacted last week. I suggest that the Minister set up a metric that IBCA could agree to for the time between when people are contacted and when they receive their payment. He could then report that interval back to the House, which would hold IBCA to account on the delivery for these infected people, who have suffered for too long.

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds (Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office)

I again pay tribute to my predecessor as Paymaster General for the work he did in standing up for the victims of this scandal. He is right to raise the case of his constituent, and about the balance between respecting IBCA’s independence and the levers, assistance and support that Ministers, and I specifically, can offer to IBCA. I would be more than happy to have a discussion with him about his specific suggestion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not explicitly commit to setting up the suggested metric.

How: Would Be More Than Happy To Have A Discussion

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Q4 Tessa Munt Lib Dem Wells and Mendip Hills
NHS
Context

The special category mechanism excluded 916 people from the compensation scheme without explanation, despite previous expert group recommendations.

Question

My constituent Phill is one of the 916 people in the special category mechanism who were suddenly and inexplicably excluded from the Government’s infected blood compensation scheme when it was published in February this year, even though the Government’s expert group had said in August last year that they should be compensated. Why did the criteria informing the eligibility for the scheme change without explanation, and can the Minister please provide a list of all the conditions included in the core award?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds (Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office)

The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue. Components of the SCM criteria are planned in both the core awards and the supplementary route, and those in receipt of SCM payments can continue to receive those payments under the infected blood support schemes route. However, as I said in my evidence to the inquiry only a few weeks ago, that is a matter that I will consider further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide an explanation for the change and did not commit to providing a list of conditions.

How: Will Consider Further

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