Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate she has made of the average time taken to process compensation payments to the estates of deceased infected blood victims; and what steps she is taking to processing times in cases where the estate was previously registered with an infected blood support scheme.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). With regards to estates of deceased infected people, IBCA has asked each registered estate where there is a beneficiary who is nearing the end of their life, to start their claim, and is now contacting estates with beneficiaries aged 75 or over. This is in line with the prioritisation criteria recommended by the Infected Blood Inquiry in its July 2025 Additional Report.
As of 25 August 2026, 1,099 people acting on behalf of a deceased infected person have been asked to start their claim, with over ÂŁ65 million paid. Where the deceased infected person was registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme, IBCA is using all the information they have already provided to handle their claim, and only asks for additional information if there is any necessary information missing, such as date of diagnosis.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the different compensation awards available under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme on (a) infected people who are still living and (b) the estates of infected people who have died; and if she will take steps to review those arrangements.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, an infected person’s compensation, whether claimed while living or via an estate, includes the same core award amounts for the Injury, Social Impact, and Autonomy awards. The core Financial Loss and Care awards are awarded differently. An estate is compensated for the financial loss the deceased person experienced from the point of infection to the date of their death. It is reasonable to assume that the infected person would have spent some of their earnings on financially supporting a partner, children, or other dependents. Therefore, the compensation scheme also provides compensation in the form of dependency payments to eligible affected people, which recognise the financial losses they experience as a result of the early death of the infected person. There is no limit on the number of affected people who can claim a dependency award as long as they can provide evidence of their eligibility.
The Government publicly consulted on a number of changes to the compensation scheme between 30 October 2025 and 22 January 2026. The core purpose of this consultation was to gather views on how the Government intends to implement the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendations. The Inquiry did not recommend changes to how the Financial Loss award is calculated for estates of deceased infected people. The changes to the compensation scheme made in the recent Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026 reflect directly what we heard in the consultation. The Government is of the view that the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme fairly compensates living infected people and the estates of deceased infected people for the financial loss they have felt as a result of the infection.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK Government public procurement does not contribute to serious human‑rights (a) risks and (b) violations overseas.
Answered by Chris Ward
The Government is clear that abhorrent human rights abuses including modern slavery and human trafficking have no place in public supply chains.
The Procurement Act 2023 provides contracting authorities with stronger powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where there is compelling evidence of modern slavery within their supply chains. The exclusion grounds now also cover behaviour outside of the UK which would be an offence if it had been committed in the UK.
The Cabinet Office has, in addition, published extensive risk-based policy and guidance for commercial teams to tackle labour rights abuses in UK and global supply chains.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department held on Labour Together's report into journalists prior to the hon. Member for Makerfield’s appointment as Parliamentary Secretary.
Answered by Chris Ward
There is an established process in place for the appointment of Ministers.
Advice, which may or may not have been provided to the Prime Minister as part of this process, is treated in confidence.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will take steps to (a) review all existing contract with Palantir and (b) suspend any further engagement with company until the investigations into Peter Mandelson are completed.
Answered by Chris Ward
All contracts for any firm go through rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers. Contracts procured by Government departments are done so in line with procurement law. This was the case with all contracts to Palantir.
We utilise a range of suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence. There are robust processes in place to ensure government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on whether Government Departments have sought advice from Labour Together on policy development.
Answered by Chris Ward
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the annual cost is of Government contracts for the licensing of a) Zoom, b) Microsoft, c) Amazon d) Google computing platforms for the civil service.
Answered by Chris Ward
Information on the annual cost of Government contracts for licensing across the Civil Service is not held centrally.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Prime Minister had with the then-UK Ambassador to the US on visiting Palantir head offices in Washington DC in February 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 10th March 2026, Official Report, PQ 112839.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the purpose of the Prime Minister's visit to Palantir head offices in Washington DC in February 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 10th March 2026, Official Report, PQ 112839.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will include AI loss-of-control scenarios will be included in the next edition of the National Risk Register.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The UK is facing an ever-changing and growing set of risks. All risks in the National Risk Register are kept under review to ensure that they are the most appropriate scenarios to inform emergency preparedness and resilience activity.
The challenges posed by artificial intelligence are referenced in the 2025 National Risk Register as a chronic risk, and incorporated in the Chronic Risks Analysis, the UK's first bespoke assessment for medium to long-term challenges facing the nation.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s AI risk register covers the full spectrum of AI risks that could impact the UK, spanning national security, defence, the economy and society. The AI Risk Register includes AI-loss-of control scenarios. The Government is committed to protecting UK citizens against the risks that advanced AI could bring, while ensuring we can maximise AI's potential for growth and public service delivery.