Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Infected Blood Inquiry is a statutory inquiry, independent of Government, with powers to require the production of evidence. The Department is committed to being fully transparent and cooperative with the Inquiry and all requests for disclosure, including those organisations or bodies for which the Department was responsible. We are resourcing dedicated policy and legal teams to ensure the Department delivers against this commitment and will coordinate across Government as appropriate.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Sir Brian Langstaff, the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, wrote to me on 7 June with his recommendations for the Inquiry’s terms of reference. I will announce the terms of reference as soon as possible, following consultation with the Devolved Administrations.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

As Minister for the Cabinet Office’s statement of 8 February made clear, the Chair will be consulting on the terms of reference for the Inquiry, and will be seeking views of those affected on whether panel members should sit alongside him. Ministers will then return to Parliament with the final terms of reference, including on the composition of a Panel, as soon as this process has been completed.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

I am announcing today the appointment of Sir Brian Langstaff to head the public inquiry into the Infected Blood scandal. The inquiry will be established under the 2005 Inquiries Act, with full powers, including the power to compel the ​production of documents, and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath.

In relation to the appointment of the Chair, the Lord Chief Justice was asked to recommend a judge who, in his view, would be best suited to the task. The Lord Chief Justice recommended Sir Brian Langstaff: a highly respected and hugely experienced High Court judge. I have accepted the Lord Chief Justice’s recommendation.

Sir Brian will be the full time Chair of the Inquiry from 1 May following his retirement from the High Court. However, in order that those who have been affected by this tragedy face no further undue delay, he will use the intervening period to conduct a further consultation on the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference

The infected blood scandal of the ’70s and ’80s was an appalling tragedy that should never have happened. The victims of this tragedy who have endured so much pain and hardship deserve answers. It is crucial that their views are properly reflected in the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference. He will want to listen carefully to the voices of those that have suffered before making a recommendation to me on what the scope of the Inquiry should be. I will return to Parliament with the final terms of reference as soon as this process has been completed.

The Government will ensure that the inquiry has the resources that it needs to complete its work. The Inquiry will, of course, also be independent of the Government.

It is very important that the Inquiry can identify why and how this tragedy occurred and provide answers for the all victims who have suffered so terribly, and can identify lessons to be learned so that a tragedy of this scale can never happen again.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

I as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office am responsible for the Infected Blood Inquiry. I made a written statement on Thursday 8 February, announcing the appointment of Sir Brian Langstaff to head the public Inquiry.

Answering body: Prime Minister

As the Government announced last month, a full statutory inquiry into the infected blood scandal will be established under the 2005 Inquiries Act, and sponsored by the Cabinet Office. The inquiry will have full powers, including the power to compel the ​production of documents, and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath.

We are today setting out the next steps.

The Cabinet Office has now completed its analysis of the responses to the consultation on the format of the statutory Inquiry into infected blood announced in July. In addition a series of roundtable meetings were held earlier this month with individuals and groups representing those affected.

The Government committed to making an announcement regarding the Chair of the inquiry before Christmas, taking into account the views we have received. We are therefore announcing today our intention to appoint a judge to Chair the inquiry. We will make a further statement on who that judge will be in the New Year and we will be discussing with them the composition of the Inquiry panel.

We would like to thank each and every person who took the time to respond to the consultation, and to share their views and experiences. We understand how difficult these issues must have been to describe and we are grateful for the frankness and honesty with which people have shared their experiences. The responses to the consultation have been carefully considered by Cabinet Office officials. We can assure the House and everyone who contributed that the findings will be passed to the proposed Chair to help inform the discussions regarding the draft Terms of Reference, on which we expect there will be further consultation.

In accordance with the Inquiries Act 2005, colleagues in the Devolved Administrations will be consulted as the Terms of Reference are finalised.

A further statement will be made in the New Year.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

I as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office am responsible for the Infected Blood Inquiry. I made a written statement on Thursday 8 February, announcing the appointment of Sir Brian Langstaff to head the public Inquiry.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

On 11 July 2017, the Prime Minister announced that a full, independent public inquiry would be held into the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 1980s, and promised to work with the victims and families of those affected by this tragedy in order to decide what form the inquiry should take. Since then, we have been listening to views from the affected community and have received over 800 written responses to the consultation, which closed on 18 October.

I am keen for the inquiry to proceed as quickly as possible in order to provide those affected with the answers they deserve. Taking into account the views of those who responded to the consultation, I am announcing today that responsibility for setting up the independent inquiry will transfer from the Department of Health to the Cabinet Office with immediate effect. I am also announcing that this will be a full statutory public inquiry, created under the 2005 Inquiries Act.

The Cabinet Office has now taken receipt of all the response to the consultation, which it will analyse thoroughly. This work will be completed as quickly as possible, and a further announcement will follow before the end of the year on the setting up of the inquiry.