Health and Social Care

Thursday 21st November 2024

(1 day, 14 hours ago)

Written Corrections
Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Infected Blood Inquiry
The following extract is from the debate on the Infected Blood Inquiry on 19 November 2024.
Andrew Gwynne Portrait Andrew Gwynne
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Turning to a question raised by the hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire about the independence of IBCA, it is rightly operationally independent. Parliament would clearly expect the Government to have oversight of a scheme of this size and for there to be proper management, given the amount of public money going into the scheme. It is true that there are only two non-departmental public bodies that are independent of the Government: one is IBCA and the other is the National Audit Office. It is absolutely right for IBCA to have that independence.

[Official Report, 19 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 234.]

Written correction submitted by the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Andrew Gwynne):

Andrew Gwynne Portrait Andrew Gwynne
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Turning to a question raised by the hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire about the independence of IBCA, it is rightly operationally independent. Parliament would clearly expect the Government to have oversight of a scheme of this size and for there to be proper management, given the amount of public money going into the scheme. It is true that there are only two non-departmental public bodies that are independent of the Government: one is IPSA and the other is the National Audit Office. It is absolutely right for IBCA to have that operational independence.