Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government will they ask the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to open registration for people who are infected, people who are affected and the estates of people who have died, who are not currently registered for compensation.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The roll out of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is an operational decision for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) as an independent body.
IBCA are contacting an average of 100 people to start their claim every week and expect to have brought in to claim all those who are infected and registered with a support scheme this calendar year. On fast-tracking for specific claimants, IBCA have announced how they are prioritising claims for infected people nearing the end of their lives. IBCA have also committed to starting other groups as soon as they can, and the Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected by the end of this year.
The Government fully supports IBCA’s commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible and the Cabinet Office will assist IBCA to speed up the payments in any way we can.
Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Infected Blood Compensation Authority needs to conduct further medical checks for individuals who are recipients of interim compensation through the core route.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
IBCA does not conduct medical checks on people who are claiming compensation. IBCA will request medical information to assess what severity band they sit within, and therefore, what compensation they are due. This is done by a person’s dedicated Claim Manager, and where needed, supported by a Clinical Adviser. This is critical to ensure that a person receives the compensation they are entitled to under the tariff-based compensation Scheme.
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 - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
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 - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
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.