The petition of residents of the constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth,
Declares that people who received infected blood and who have suffered as a consequence have, along with their families, waited for too long for redress.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to implement the recommendations in the Second Interim Report of the Infected Blood Inquiry without delay.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Debbie Abrahams, Official Report, 16 May 2024; Vol. 750, c. 524.]
[P002982]
Petitions in the same terms were presented by the hon. Member for City of Chester (Samantha Dixon) [P002990].
Observations from the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (John Glen):
The Government are grateful to the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, and for City of Chester, for submitting the petition on behalf of their constituents concerning the Government’s response to the infected blood inquiry, and particularly the issue of final compensation recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff.
The Government acknowledge that victims of infected blood have been waiting far too long to see justice and we are progressing this work with urgency.
The Government have accepted the moral case for compensation and, starting in October 2022, made interim payments of £100,000 available to chronic infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners registered with existing support schemes. These payments continue to be made to eligible beneficiaries upon their being accepted on to the schemes.
However, we recognise there is more still to be done. On 30 April, Government amendments were added to the Victims and Prisoners Bill. The Government amendments impose a duty on the Government to establish an infected blood compensation scheme. It also establishes a new arm’s length body, named the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, to deliver the compensation scheme. The authority will operate on a UK-wide basis to ensure parity and consistency. The Government also agreed to deliver the regulations establishing an infected blood compensation scheme within 3 months of Royal Assent. This demonstrates our absolute commitment to paying compensation to those infected and affected by infected blood.
Additionally, in order to progress this work as swiftly as possible, a shadow body will be established by 20 May, led by an interim chief executive. This will be critical to getting the practical work in place to ensure the Infected Blood Compensation Authority can be fully operational as soon as possible. The shadow body will be able to begin work, such as implementing IT systems and appointing staff, which is needed for assessing and delivering compensation payments as quickly as possible.
The Government amendment also includes a statutory duty to make interim payments of £100,000 to estates of deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes where previous interim payments have not already been made to infected individuals or their bereaved partners. This is an important step forward to get substantial compensation into the hands of families of victims of infected blood.
The Government will make a substantive update to Parliament responding to the infected blood inquiry’s recommendations on compensation as soon as possible following 20 May. It is important that the Government await the findings of the inquiry’s final report, but Ministers are clear that the inquiry’s recommendations should form the basis of any response.