Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their response to recommendation 18 of the Infected Blood Inquiry's second interim report, published on 5 April, that a compensation scheme should be set up now and it should begin work this year.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government continues to make progress with the work necessary to enable a response to the full report when it is published in March next year. It is only reasonable that the Inquiry, whose work is in train, concludes and provides their final recommendations before the Government takes action. The Government recognises that there is interest in pre-registration for compensation ahead of its response to the Inquiry’s final report. However, as the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out to the Inquiry in July, opening registration for compensation before the Government has finalised its response would be a difficult step to take.
Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to page 60 of the Infected Blood Inquiry's second interim report, published on 5 April, what work they have been done to register those eligible for interim compensation payments with existing support schemes, before the final report is published.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government continues to make progress with the work necessary to enable a response to the full report when it is published in March next year. It is only reasonable that the Inquiry, whose work is in train, concludes and provides their final recommendations before the Government takes action. The Government recognises that there is interest in pre-registration for compensation ahead of its response to the Inquiry’s final report. However, as the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out to the Inquiry in July, opening registration for compensation before the Government has finalised its response would be a difficult step to take.
Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there exists a 10-year rule under which departmental papers and records may be destroyed, and if so, where that rule is set out.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
There is no ten year rule for the destruction of records created by ministers. Departments work to the guidance published by The National Archives on the appraisal and selection of official records which are retained and transferred for permanent preservation.