Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on incorporating current discretionary support payments into the new scheme for victims of contaminated blood; and if he will make a statement.

The new infected blood payment scheme will contain a discretionary element.

The three existing discretionary schemes will remain in place until the new scheme administrator is in place later in 2017. This will ensure a smooth handover of the discretionary elements under the new scheme.

Further details of the discretionary support scheme will be provided in advance of the new scheme being set up.