Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 20 March (HL5765), which arm's-length bodies are in the process of being set up, and what estimate they have made of the annual cost of each.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Cabinet Office considers an ALB to be in the process of being set up when we have either received a business case for a proposed new body, or the proposal has been allowed to seek approval retrospectively. We then conduct a detailed process to ensure there is sufficient due diligence to establish a clear rationale for a proposed new body. The following bodies are in the process of being set up: There are currently 26 proposed public bodies, which are as follows:
Skills England
Armed Forces Commissioner
Infected Blood Compensation Authority
NISTA
Fair Work Agency
Industrial Strategy Council
Independent Football Regulator
Great British Energy - NDPB
School Support Staff Negotiating Body
National Data Library
Regulatory Innovation Office
National Wealth Fund - NMD
Anti-Money Laundering Supervision Reform Body
Technical Advisory Panel
"Project Seahorse"
Border Security Command
Passenger Standards Authority
National Care Service
National Centre of Policing
Ethics and Integrity Commission
Building Standards Regulatory Body
AI Regulation Body
Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
Local Audit Office
Office of Product Standards and Safety
Tax Advisory Body - Advisory NDPB
Animal Welfare Advisory Body
Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS)
Ploughshare
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the performance of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in dealing with cases which involve the Scottish legal system.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I understand that the first group of claims included victims from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Claimants who live in Scotland can receive legal support from firms with particular expertise in Scots law, if they wish, and I have been assured that as the scheme expands, the Authority will increase legal capability across all the UK.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many registrations have been made with the Infected Blood Interim Compensation Payment Scheme in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As of July 2024, 3,698 interim compensation payments have been paid to living infected persons and bereaved partners. This information is not made available on a regional basis. The process under which estates can apply for interim compensation payments opened on 24th October. We will provide an update on the number of applications in due course.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the format of payments from the infected blood compensation scheme; whether he has had discussions with each devolved Administration on their presumed approach in terms of lump-sum versus monthly payments; and what assessment his Department has made of each devolved Administration's presumed approach.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I met the Health Ministers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ahead of the announcement on 16 August, and officials meet on a regular basis to discuss the progress of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. The Scheme will operate across the UK and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has been set up to deliver compensation payments to people infected and affected, and will work across the whole country as a single point administering compensation. We are committed to working closely with devolved governments and their support scheme administrators as we move forward with this work.
Asked by: Tom Randall (Conservative - Gedling)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the infected blood interim payment process for bereaved parents and children is (a) transparent and (b) efficient.
Answered by John Glen
On 17th April, the Government tabled amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill which include a statutory duty to make interim payments of £100,000 to estates of the deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes (where previous interim payments have not already been made to infected individuals or their bereaved partners). This is an important step forward to get substantial compensation into the hands of families of victims of infected blood.
Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure infected blood interim compensation payments are made to bereaved parents and children through the England Infected Blood Support Scheme.
Answered by John Glen
In October 2022, we made interim payments of £100,000 available to those infected and bereaved partners registered with existing support schemes. I recognise the importance the infected blood community places on interim payments relating to those deaths not yet recognised, and the Government is working through the technical implications of recommendation 12.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people (a) infected and (b) affected by contaminated blood and blood products in Morley and Outwood constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Psychological support is available for those who are beneficiaries of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS), and their families. The EIBSS provides a grant of up to £900 a year for beneficiaries and family members to access counselling, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved talking therapies. In August 2022, this offer was expanded to enable beneficiaries to access funding for ongoing and longer-term treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/talking-therapy-support
A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed, intended to go live in early Summer 2024.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people (a) infected and (b) affected by contaminated blood and blood products in Luton South.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Psychological support is available for those who are beneficiaries of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) and their families. The EIBSS provides a grant of up to £900 a year for beneficiaries and family members to access counselling and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved talking therapies. In August 2022, this offer was expanded to enable beneficiaries to access funding for ongoing or longer-term treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/talking-therapy-support.
A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed, and is intended to go live in early summer 2024.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people infected and affected by contaminated blood and blood products in Liverpool, Walton constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Psychological support is available for those who are beneficiaries of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS), and their families. The EIBSS provides a grant of up to £900 a year for beneficiaries and family members to access counselling and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved talking therapies. In August 2022, this offer was expanded to enable beneficiaries to access funding for ongoing or longer-term treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/talking-therapy-support
A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed, intended to go live in early Summer 2024.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who have died since being (a) treated with contaminated blood products and (b) given contaminated blood transfusions in Hull North.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not made an estimate of the number of people who were treated with contaminated blood products and given contaminated blood transfusions by the National Health Service in Hull North, nor has it made an estimate of the numbers of these people who have since died.
Psychological support is available for people across England who are beneficiaries of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS), and their families. EIBSS provides a grant of up to £900 a year for beneficiaries and family members for counselling and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved talking therapies. This offer was expanded in August 2022 to enable beneficiaries to access funding for ongoing or longer-term treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/talking-therapy-support.
A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims and their families, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed and is planned to go live in early summer 2024. This will be available in all regions of England.