Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what they will ensure that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and Scheme accepts applications from people who are not able to register for the existing support schemes, such as (1) people who have recovered after receiving infected blood, and (2) people infected after the current cut-off dates.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Under the proposed Infected Blood Compensation Scheme those who have been infected with hepatitis C whose infection lasted less than 6 months will be eligible for compensation. People who were infected after the current cut-off dates will be eligible to apply. However, the introduction of testing will be considered as a factor when assessing their application. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority website launched on 21 May and interested people can register their interest in being involved in the IBCA and receiving updates.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how, and when, infected and affected people not currently registered with a support scheme will be able to register to apply for compensation.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Under the proposed Infected Blood Compensation Scheme those who have been infected with hepatitis C whose infection lasted less than 6 months will be eligible for compensation. People who were infected after the current cut-off dates will be eligible to apply. However, the introduction of testing will be considered as a factor when assessing their application. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority website launched on 21 May and interested people can register their interest in being involved in the IBCA and receiving updates.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the infected blood compensation scheme will include people infected with other hepatitis viruses, such as (1) hepatitis B, and (2) hepatitis D.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Those living with a chronic Hepatitis B infection, and those with acute Hepatitis B infections who died from their infection during the acute period, will be eligible under the scheme. More detail can be viewed online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-compensation-scheme-summary/infected-blood-compensation-scheme-summary. The Inquiry’s second interim report sets out that as the Hepatitis D virus does not cause infection in the absence of Hepatitis B, it is not necessary to make Hepatitis D an additional class of infection. Therefore Hepatitis D infections are not separately considered for compensation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal or other support will be made available to infected and affected people when making applications for compensation for infected blood; and how the compensation authority will assist people whose medical records have been destroyed.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government will make arrangements for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to provide support to applicants and within this support will consider the provision of legal support services. The Government amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill allow for that support to be provided for victims and the House can expect the Government to work with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority on the support that is required.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Infected Blood Inquiry: The Report published on 20 May, when infected and affected people will receive new interim compensation payments; and when full compensation payments will be made.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is the Government’s intention for the first interim payments of £210,000 to the living infected to be delivered within 90 days, to begin in summer. Full Compensation Scheme payments will be made as quickly as possible and our aim is that payments will start before the end of the year.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that there are no time limits on starting or completing applications for compensation for infected blood.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all those eligible to receive compensation receive an award as quickly as possible. For those whose infections are diagnosed before 1 April 2025, the Scheme is anticipated to be open for 6 years (31 March 2031). However, the anticipated closing date of the Scheme for people with existing diagnoses will be reviewed after 3 years to ensure that it is appropriate.The Government recognises that some people may not yet have been diagnosed with an eligible infection. Where people are newly diagnosed after 1 April 2025, the Scheme will remain open to applications for compensation for 6 years after their diagnosis date.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 14 March (HL2919), why they do not plan to publish the detailed methodology and findings of the inflationary impact model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The approach and plans set out within the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) remain unchanged. We will continue to support business readiness throughout the implementation of checks and take a sensible pragmatic approach to enforcement.
The government’s consumer food price inflation model for the BTOM included an assessment of policy measures likely to affect the cost and/or quantity of traded products, including the Government-run BCP operating costs that will be recovered via a Common User Charge. Estimates of the cost and impact of the Charge were included in the modelling of the inflationary impact of the BTOM and we stand by these estimates.
This data includes a mix of published and unpublished commercially sensitive data sources. To publish only a partial picture of that data would not be in keeping with statistical propriety.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 14 March (HL2919), whether the inflationary impact model will be updated on the basis of (1) the announced Common User Charge, and (2) the application of the Common User Charge to the additional fruit and vegetables that have been classified as medium rather than low risk.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The approach and plans set out within the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) remain unchanged. We will continue to support business readiness throughout the implementation of checks and take a sensible pragmatic approach to enforcement.
The government’s consumer food price inflation model for the BTOM included an assessment of policy measures likely to affect the cost and/or quantity of traded products, including the Government-run BCP operating costs that will be recovered via a Common User Charge. Estimates of the cost and impact of the Charge were included in the modelling of the inflationary impact of the BTOM and we stand by these estimates.
This data includes a mix of published and unpublished commercially sensitive data sources. To publish only a partial picture of that data would not be in keeping with statistical propriety.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 14 March (HL2915), why they do not plan to publish further information on business readiness of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) now the details of BTOM have changed since the original readiness assessment was undertaken.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The approach and plans set out within the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) remain unchanged. We will continue to support business readiness throughout the implementation of checks and take a sensible pragmatic approach to enforcement.
The government’s consumer food price inflation model for the BTOM included an assessment of policy measures likely to affect the cost and/or quantity of traded products, including the Government-run BCP operating costs that will be recovered via a Common User Charge. Estimates of the cost and impact of the Charge were included in the modelling of the inflationary impact of the BTOM and we stand by these estimates.
This data includes a mix of published and unpublished commercially sensitive data sources. To publish only a partial picture of that data would not be in keeping with statistical propriety.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 5 January (HL1358), whether they plan to publish (1) the questions posed in the business readiness survey, and (2) a detailed summary of the responses from businesses, for the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In the Draft Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), published in April 2023 the UK Government asked industry to provide information on their readiness for the proposed regime. The questions included:
What challenges exist for the private sector in meeting the proposed timeline for introducing the new model and how can specific business models for importing be further supported to prepare?
What further detail is needed in order for businesses to prepare for and implement the new Border Target Operating Model?
A summary of responses from stakeholders can be found in the Final BTOM, published in August 2023. In response to stakeholder feedback on the Draft BTOM, we made a change to the timeline for the introduction of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls to give more businesses time to prepare. The Government is delivering a programme of engagement with stakeholders across all sectors in all parts of the country and with key European Union trading partners to ensure readiness. There are no current plans for further publications on industry readiness as such, although discussions with stakeholders continue.
However, we expect to publish the Government Response to the charging arrangements at government-run border control posts consultation in the coming weeks. Arrangements for physical checks for goods from the island of Ireland will be announced in due course - the UK Government is continuing to work with the Scottish and Welsh Government as well as the newly restored Northern Ireland Executive on this issue. We aim shortly to publish revised rules for importing animal products, plants and plant products into Great Britain for personal use, including those sent as post and parcels. All other supplementary guidance outlined in Annex H of the Final BTOM that was due to be published by end February 2024 has been released, and technical information surrounding the BTOM was issued in mid-February here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-target-operating-model-information-leaflets-for-businesses.
With regards to live testing, traders, carriers and hauliers have been selected to take part in operational testing in conjunction with Defra and local Port Health Authorities and include a mix of large and smaller traders where possible. The tests vary according to route route, mode and commodity. Onboarding of traders into the testing regime, including some smaller businesses, is ongoing at this time with operational testing continuing in March and April.
Estimates for the Common User Charge were included in the modelling of the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model. The government used a wide array of data to input into the peer-reviewed model, including commercially sensitive data sources. To publish only a partial picture would not be in keeping with statistical propriety.