Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) currently makes provision for ex gratia one-off payments to eligible spouses, civil partners and long-term partners for individuals meeting qualifying criteria.

The EIBSS also makes provision to help with the costs of bringing up children of an infected beneficiary in the form of an income top-up payment. This is a discretionary monthly payment to increase household income to help with general living costs. These are means-tested payments for dependants who are defined as children of an infected beneficiary up to the age of 18 years, or up to 21 if in full-time education.

In July 2017 the then Prime Minister announced the establishment of the Infected Blood Enquiry. This statutory inquiry chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, will examine why men, women and children in the United Kingdom were given infected blood and/or infected blood products and the impact on their families. The Inquiry will consider the nature and the adequacy of the treatment, care and support (including financial assistance) and the Government will carefully consider any recommendations made.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Government is committed to full disclosure to the Infected Blood Inquiry, and no historical record or document relevant to the Inquiry will be withheld from it.

In his statement on Disclosure and Legal Professional Privilege (LPP), Sir Brian Langstaff recognized that the right to assert LPP is preserved in the context of public inquiries by section 22(1) of the Inquiries Act 2005. He also recognised that, given the passage of time that the Inquiry will be investigating, many of the LPP and confidentiality issues will have eroded and this is the Government’s position also.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Until the report of the Infected Blood Inquiry is received it is difficult to commit to implement its recommendations. However, on receipt of the Inquiry’s report the Government will make a full statement to Parliament and will give the Inquiry’s recommendations full and proper consideration which we will do with the utmost urgency, recognising that many infected people have passed away since the start of the Inquiry, and every day that passes before the Inquiry completes its work risks further tragic losses.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Office became aware of this issue at the beginning of October, and took

immediate steps to ascertain what had happened and why, and to seek reassurance from

departments that they had received the notification when it was resent on 11 June, and

that they had not destroyed any records relevant to the Inquiry during the period 3 April

to 11 June.

All relevant departments and relevant areas within departments worked urgently to

confirm that they have not destroyed any records relevant to the Inquiry during the

period between 3rd April and 11th June, and have provided confirmation.

The Department of Health and Social Care put in place a moratorium on the destruction of historical records as soon as the Inquiry was announced in July 2017.

Because of their size and the complexity of some of the records they hold, HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Legal Aid Agency are continuing to work to provide this assurance and have committed to doing so as urgently as possible. All other relevant departments and agencies have already been able to provide assurances that no information relevant to the inquiry was destroyed during that period.

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.