On 7 March, the All Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood met with Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin MP for an update on the Government’s plans for a compensation framework for those affected by the contaminated blood scandal and their families.
Jeremy Quin stated that although cabinet ministers were working behind the scenes, he would not be able to update the group until after the interim report from the Infected Blood Inquiry is published.
The interim report from Sir Brian Langstaff is expected to be published at Easter with final recommendations following in the autumn.
Mr Quin also said that the cabinet office were in the process of finding a new senior sponsor official for the Infected Blood Inquiry, following the resignation of Sue Gray.
Leila Reid, Director of Corporate Services for The Hepatitis C Trust, said: “We are disappointed that there is still no clarity on the Government’s plans for the compensation system for those who received infected blood and blood products, and for their families. The Government can and should be acting now to ensure this is delivered as swiftly as possible. This should be happening in collaboration with the people affected and include regular, clear updates on the progress being made.”