Question four, Mr Speaker.

4. When the Government plan to publish the report by Sir Robert Francis on compensation for those affected by contaminated blood products.

Minister for Cabinet Office:

thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Uh, and I thank the honourable lady for this question. Sir Robert Francis delivered his report to me on the 14th of March, and I will carefully consider his findings and recommendations.

It is my intention to publish the compensation framework study, alongside the government’s response just as soon as possible and in sufficient time for the infected blood inquiry and its core participants to consider them before Sir Robert gives evidence to the inquiry.

Philippa:

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

In the five years since the UK government finally agreed to hold a public inquiry, 90 victims of the contaminated blood disaster have died in Scotland alone, with 27 of those just in the last year, since Sir Robert Francis was asked to consider compensation mechanisms.

The inquiry team and victims groups need sufficient time to look at his report.

So does the minister not recognize how disrespectful it is to the victims of this disaster to delay publishing the report and then announce the government’s response and decision without hearing their views?

Minister of the Cabinet Office:
Well, I, I thank the honourable lady for that. It it’s extremely important that all those that have suffered so terribly, uh, can get the answers they have spent decades waiting for. And she knows that it’s, it’s the right honourable lady, the Member for Maidenhead who initiated this inquiry after 30 years of successive government not doing so. And it is her Majesty’s government who commissioned this study that we are talking about this morning proactively. Um, what I have said is that I will consider the matter very carefully, uh, and all due and appropriate considerations are being given to all of the factors that, uh, she has mentioned and other factors, uh, too.

And we will do that in sufficient time for the inquiry and its core participants to consider them before Sir Robert gives evidence.