Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 23rd January 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

7. What progress he has made on payments to infected and affected people under the infected blood compensation scheme.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

10. What recent progress he has made on establishing the infected blood compensation scheme.

[Gregor Poynton (Livingston) (Lab)]

11. What recent progress he has made on establishing the infected blood compensation scheme.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

Yes, the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I look forward to the former Paymaster General’s reflections after his visit next week. I was delighted yesterday to meet the user consultants— three victims; two infected, one affected—who are certainly making their voice heard at the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. That voice of victims is hugely important, as is the constructive approach the right hon. Gentleman has indicated.

[Jessica Toale]

I welcome the £11.8 billion allocated in the Budget for the infected blood scandal, which is a clear commitment from this Government that they are acting on this injustice. However, parents and partners of the infected, including in my constituency of Bournemouth West, are rightly apprehensive about when they will receive compensation; many are elderly or in poor health. Given the urgency of the situation, can the Minister outline when they might receive compensation and whether he will consider including them in the initial waves?

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

In October, applications opened for eligible estates to claim interim compensation payments of £100,000. So far, more than 230 estates have received payments. I hope those payments are welcomed as the beginning of recognition for those who have lost loved ones to this devastating scandal. The delivery of compensation payments is rightly a matter for IBCA, which is an independent arm’s length body chaired by Sir Robert Francis. The Government expect payments to eligible affected people to begin this year, following a second set of regulations that I will be laying before Parliament in the coming weeks.