Yesterday, the Government published minutes of the meetings of the Infected Blood Inquiry Response Expert Group. Appointed by the previous Government in early 2024 to advise on the Government’s plans for its compensation scheme for victims of the infected blood scandal, criticisms have been made about the lack of transparency surrounding the Group and its lack of consultation with the community.
The recommendations made by this group were the basis for the Infected Blood compensation scheme’s design, but it has been unclear exactly how its decisions – many of which are controversial – were made. The publication follows questioning at the Infected Blood Inquiry hearings earlier this month, at which the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas-Symonds, and Director General for the Cabinet Office, James Quinault were questioned about this lack of transparency and engagement from the Government in their response to the Inquiry Recommendations, published one year ago this week.