Infected Blood Inquiry confirms dates and venues for public hearings

The Infected Blood Inquiry has confirmed the dates and venues for the first public hearings when people infected and affected will give oral evidence.
The dates and locations are as follows:
London (Fleetbank House) – 30 April-3 May, 7-10 May
Belfast (International Conference Centre Belfast) – 21-24 May
London (Fleetbank House) – 4-7 June
Leeds (Crowne Plaza Hotel) – 11-14 June, 18-21 June
Edinburgh (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) – 2-5 July, 8-11 July
Cardiff (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama) – 23-26 July
London (Fleetbank House) – 8-11 October, 15-18 October
The Inquiry team have also published a document explaining how decisions will be made on who will be asked to give oral evidence.
Around 120 people are expected to give oral evidence at this stage of the hearings. As the Inquiry is expecting approximately 2,500 written statements, not everyone will be able to give oral evidence. However, every written statement will be read by the Chair and used to inform his findings.
People will be selected by the Inquiry based on considerations including:
Geographic spread – people from all over the country
A mixture of those infected and affected by either blood transfusion or blood-clotting products (such as Factor 8)
A range of conditions (for example HIV, hepatitis or co-infected)
People infected or affected from across a range of time periods that the Inquiry is concerned with
Individuals who were infected indirectly as a spouse or partner or child of someone infected
Details on how to register to attend the hearings will be published in due course. There will also be a further phase of Inquiry hearings throughout the autumn, providing further opportunities for people to give oral evidence.
Chair of the Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, said:
“I am reading each and every written statement submitted to the Inquiry.  I am grateful to everyone who is giving a statement, speaking to the Inquiry’s intermediaries, and supporting family members and friends who are participating in the Inquiry.
You will see from the list of hearing dates and venues that, as I promised at the outset, people and their experiences are at the heart of this Inquiry, and that the Inquiry is honouring its undertaking to hear directly in major centres around the whole of the UK from those infected by blood or blood products, and those who have been affected by this.”
I have little doubt that their testimony will not only be poignant but also a powerful tool in helping to get to the truth of what happened.”