Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government’s proposed Special Category Mechanism on access to enhanced awards and appeals for infected and affected people, including individuals who were unable to enrol in post‑2017 support schemes due to their death prior to those schemes’ introduction.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme on 30 October 2025 that ran for the standard 12 weeks and closed on 22 January. This consultation adhered to the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles and was open to the public, with responses particularly encouraged from those in the infected blood community. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. An Equality Impact Assessment is not required to be carried out for public consultations, but the Government will provide one alongside any legislation arising from the implementation of the consultation’s outcome.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry recommended that the Government reconsider how the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to those currently receiving Special Category Mechanism (SCM) payments or its equivalents. The Government accepted this recommendation.
The public consultation proposed that anyone currently receiving SCM or equivalent payments through the Infected Blood Support Schemes would be automatically eligible for a Severe Health Condition award. The Government has also consulted on how eligibility should be established for people who are not registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) but who experience the same impact on their day-to-day life for the same reasons.
The Technical Expert Group (TEG) is convening a series of roundtables with key organisations and charity representatives to discuss aspects of the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report recommendations for the compensation scheme, to inform their advice to the Government. This targeted engagement is separate to the Government’s consultation. The TEG held roundtables on 15 and 17 December 2025, which focused on establishing the eligibility criteria for living infected people who are not currently registered with an IBSS, in relation to the award to recognise impacts associated with SCM, and its equivalents. The attendee list was informed by the key representatives in the infected blood community that the Government regularly engages with. To ensure transparency, the minutes of meetings of the TEG are published on GOV.UK. The minutes of these roundtable meetings were published on 29 January 2026.
The TEG invited further written responses from the representatives to supplement the discussion of the roundtables. The TEG therefore received written responses after the initial roundtables on SCM had been held. The TEG have, since then, reviewed these written responses and will be making sure they too are properly reflected in a summary document which will be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the consultation undertaken on the proposed Special Category Mechanism was assessed against (a) the Gunning Principles and (b) the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles, including requirements relating to adequate time, consultation at a formative stage, and inclusion of all groups materially affected by the policy.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme on 30 October 2025 that ran for the standard 12 weeks and closed on 22 January. This consultation adhered to the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles and was open to the public, with responses particularly encouraged from those in the infected blood community. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. An Equality Impact Assessment is not required to be carried out for public consultations, but the Government will provide one alongside any legislation arising from the implementation of the consultation’s outcome.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry recommended that the Government reconsider how the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to those currently receiving Special Category Mechanism (SCM) payments or its equivalents. The Government accepted this recommendation.
The public consultation proposed that anyone currently receiving SCM or equivalent payments through the Infected Blood Support Schemes would be automatically eligible for a Severe Health Condition award. The Government has also consulted on how eligibility should be established for people who are not registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) but who experience the same impact on their day-to-day life for the same reasons.
The Technical Expert Group (TEG) is convening a series of roundtables with key organisations and charity representatives to discuss aspects of the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report recommendations for the compensation scheme, to inform their advice to the Government. This targeted engagement is separate to the Government’s consultation. The TEG held roundtables on 15 and 17 December 2025, which focused on establishing the eligibility criteria for living infected people who are not currently registered with an IBSS, in relation to the award to recognise impacts associated with SCM, and its equivalents. The attendee list was informed by the key representatives in the infected blood community that the Government regularly engages with. To ensure transparency, the minutes of meetings of the TEG are published on GOV.UK. The minutes of these roundtable meetings were published on 29 January 2026.
The TEG invited further written responses from the representatives to supplement the discussion of the roundtables. The TEG therefore received written responses after the initial roundtables on SCM had been held. The TEG have, since then, reviewed these written responses and will be making sure they too are properly reflected in a summary document which will be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken of the eligibility criteria for the proposed Special Category Mechanism.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme on 30 October 2025 that ran for the standard 12 weeks and closed on 22 January. This consultation adhered to the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles and was open to the public, with responses particularly encouraged from those in the infected blood community. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. An Equality Impact Assessment is not required to be carried out for public consultations, but the Government will provide one alongside any legislation arising from the implementation of the consultation’s outcome.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry recommended that the Government reconsider how the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to those currently receiving Special Category Mechanism (SCM) payments or its equivalents. The Government accepted this recommendation.
The public consultation proposed that anyone currently receiving SCM or equivalent payments through the Infected Blood Support Schemes would be automatically eligible for a Severe Health Condition award. The Government has also consulted on how eligibility should be established for people who are not registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) but who experience the same impact on their day-to-day life for the same reasons.
The Technical Expert Group (TEG) is convening a series of roundtables with key organisations and charity representatives to discuss aspects of the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report recommendations for the compensation scheme, to inform their advice to the Government. This targeted engagement is separate to the Government’s consultation. The TEG held roundtables on 15 and 17 December 2025, which focused on establishing the eligibility criteria for living infected people who are not currently registered with an IBSS, in relation to the award to recognise impacts associated with SCM, and its equivalents. The attendee list was informed by the key representatives in the infected blood community that the Government regularly engages with. To ensure transparency, the minutes of meetings of the TEG are published on GOV.UK. The minutes of these roundtable meetings were published on 29 January 2026.
The TEG invited further written responses from the representatives to supplement the discussion of the roundtables. The TEG therefore received written responses after the initial roundtables on SCM had been held. The TEG have, since then, reviewed these written responses and will be making sure they too are properly reflected in a summary document which will be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to help facilitate the participation of bereaved families and representatives of deceased victims in the Technical Expert Group consultation on the Special Category Mechanism; and for what reasons written submissions from bereaved representatives were not summarised in the published consultation materials.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme on 30 October 2025 that ran for the standard 12 weeks and closed on 22 January. This consultation adhered to the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles and was open to the public, with responses particularly encouraged from those in the infected blood community. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. An Equality Impact Assessment is not required to be carried out for public consultations, but the Government will provide one alongside any legislation arising from the implementation of the consultation’s outcome.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry recommended that the Government reconsider how the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to those currently receiving Special Category Mechanism (SCM) payments or its equivalents. The Government accepted this recommendation.
The public consultation proposed that anyone currently receiving SCM or equivalent payments through the Infected Blood Support Schemes would be automatically eligible for a Severe Health Condition award. The Government has also consulted on how eligibility should be established for people who are not registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) but who experience the same impact on their day-to-day life for the same reasons.
The Technical Expert Group (TEG) is convening a series of roundtables with key organisations and charity representatives to discuss aspects of the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report recommendations for the compensation scheme, to inform their advice to the Government. This targeted engagement is separate to the Government’s consultation. The TEG held roundtables on 15 and 17 December 2025, which focused on establishing the eligibility criteria for living infected people who are not currently registered with an IBSS, in relation to the award to recognise impacts associated with SCM, and its equivalents. The attendee list was informed by the key representatives in the infected blood community that the Government regularly engages with. To ensure transparency, the minutes of meetings of the TEG are published on GOV.UK. The minutes of these roundtable meetings were published on 29 January 2026.
The TEG invited further written responses from the representatives to supplement the discussion of the roundtables. The TEG therefore received written responses after the initial roundtables on SCM had been held. The TEG have, since then, reviewed these written responses and will be making sure they too are properly reflected in a summary document which will be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the consistency of the proposed Special Category Mechanism with the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme on 30 October 2025 that ran for the standard 12 weeks and closed on 22 January. This consultation adhered to the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles and was open to the public, with responses particularly encouraged from those in the infected blood community. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. An Equality Impact Assessment is not required to be carried out for public consultations, but the Government will provide one alongside any legislation arising from the implementation of the consultation’s outcome.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry recommended that the Government reconsider how the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to those currently receiving Special Category Mechanism (SCM) payments or its equivalents. The Government accepted this recommendation.
The public consultation proposed that anyone currently receiving SCM or equivalent payments through the Infected Blood Support Schemes would be automatically eligible for a Severe Health Condition award. The Government has also consulted on how eligibility should be established for people who are not registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) but who experience the same impact on their day-to-day life for the same reasons.
The Technical Expert Group (TEG) is convening a series of roundtables with key organisations and charity representatives to discuss aspects of the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report recommendations for the compensation scheme, to inform their advice to the Government. This targeted engagement is separate to the Government’s consultation. The TEG held roundtables on 15 and 17 December 2025, which focused on establishing the eligibility criteria for living infected people who are not currently registered with an IBSS, in relation to the award to recognise impacts associated with SCM, and its equivalents. The attendee list was informed by the key representatives in the infected blood community that the Government regularly engages with. To ensure transparency, the minutes of meetings of the TEG are published on GOV.UK. The minutes of these roundtable meetings were published on 29 January 2026.
The TEG invited further written responses from the representatives to supplement the discussion of the roundtables. The TEG therefore received written responses after the initial roundtables on SCM had been held. The TEG have, since then, reviewed these written responses and will be making sure they too are properly reflected in a summary document which will be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that data collected by live facial recognition technology cannot be accessed by foreign states.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by data protection legislation, which requires that any processing of biometric data is lawful, fair, proportionate and subject to appropriate safeguards.
The Home Office does not collect or store data generated through police use of LFR. Police forces act as data controllers for the operational use of the technology and are responsible for ensuring that data is stored and handled securely, in line with data protection law and established policing standards.
LFR systems used by the police must be procured and operated in accordance with UK law and national security requirements. Police procurement decisions are subject to procurement legislation and Cabinet Office guidance on supply‑chain and national security risk. This includes having regard to cyber security standards and advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, which supports public sector organisations in protecting systems and sensitive data from cyber threats, including risks associated with third‑party suppliers and foreign access.
Operational guidance on the use of LFR is set out in the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP). The APP is national guidance developed and maintained by the College, following engagement with policing practitioners and relevant stakeholders. It sets out best practice and legal standards for police forces, making clear that any use of LFR must be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and must comply with data protection, equality and human rights legislation.
The APP sits alongside the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, issued by the Home Secretary, which provides statutory guidance on the responsible and transparent use of surveillance cameras including facial recognition.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of stakeholders that ministers have met to develop a best practice guidance for the use of Live Facial Recognition technology by the police.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by data protection legislation, which requires that any processing of biometric data is lawful, fair, proportionate and subject to appropriate safeguards.
The Home Office does not collect or store data generated through police use of LFR. Police forces act as data controllers for the operational use of the technology and are responsible for ensuring that data is stored and handled securely, in line with data protection law and established policing standards.
LFR systems used by the police must be procured and operated in accordance with UK law and national security requirements. Police procurement decisions are subject to procurement legislation and Cabinet Office guidance on supply‑chain and national security risk. This includes having regard to cyber security standards and advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, which supports public sector organisations in protecting systems and sensitive data from cyber threats, including risks associated with third‑party suppliers and foreign access.
Operational guidance on the use of LFR is set out in the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP). The APP is national guidance developed and maintained by the College, following engagement with policing practitioners and relevant stakeholders. It sets out best practice and legal standards for police forces, making clear that any use of LFR must be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and must comply with data protection, equality and human rights legislation.
The APP sits alongside the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, issued by the Home Secretary, which provides statutory guidance on the responsible and transparent use of surveillance cameras including facial recognition.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that data collected by live facial recognition will be stored safely.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by data protection legislation, which requires that any processing of biometric data is lawful, fair, proportionate and subject to appropriate safeguards.
The Home Office does not collect or store data generated through police use of LFR. Police forces act as data controllers for the operational use of the technology and are responsible for ensuring that data is stored and handled securely, in line with data protection law and established policing standards.
LFR systems used by the police must be procured and operated in accordance with UK law and national security requirements. Police procurement decisions are subject to procurement legislation and Cabinet Office guidance on supply‑chain and national security risk. This includes having regard to cyber security standards and advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, which supports public sector organisations in protecting systems and sensitive data from cyber threats, including risks associated with third‑party suppliers and foreign access.
Operational guidance on the use of LFR is set out in the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP). The APP is national guidance developed and maintained by the College, following engagement with policing practitioners and relevant stakeholders. It sets out best practice and legal standards for police forces, making clear that any use of LFR must be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and must comply with data protection, equality and human rights legislation.
The APP sits alongside the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, issued by the Home Secretary, which provides statutory guidance on the responsible and transparent use of surveillance cameras including facial recognition.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the level of the gender pension gap within the civil service pension scheme.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The gender pension gap can be measured in different ways. In order to answer this question, we have used the difference in average pension in payment for men and women, expressed as a percentage of the average pension for men. Based on the latest data available, from 2024, the gap has reduced from 47% in 2016 to 42%.
We fully expect this position to continue to improve as the equality employment legislation reduces historical differences in both the gap in pay and pensions accruing.
The Cabinet Office will be commissioning the Government Actuary’s Department to carry out further analysis of the current position and will then consider next steps.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help close the gender pension gap in the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The gender pension gap can be measured in different ways. In order to answer this question, we have used the difference in average pension in payment for men and women, expressed as a percentage of the average pension for men. Based on the latest data available, from 2024, the gap has reduced from 47% in 2016 to 42%.
We fully expect this position to continue to improve as the equality employment legislation reduces historical differences in both the gap in pay and pensions accruing.
The Cabinet Office will be commissioning the Government Actuary’s Department to carry out further analysis of the current position and will then consider next steps.