John Glen, the Cabinet Office minister, announces the establishment of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, with Sir Robert Francis as the interim chair. Glen expresses gratitude to Rishi Sunak for the apology delivered to victims of the infected blood scandal and thanks Sir Brian Langstaff for his work. He emphasizes the government’s commitment to providing comprehensive compensation to those infected and affected, detailing the eligibility criteria for claiming compensation and the process for loved ones to apply. Glen also announces further interim payments of £210,000 to be made within 90 days, with final compensation payments expected to start before the end of the year. The scheme will be tariff-based, with consultation from the infected blood community on the terms, and payments will be exempt from certain taxes and considered for means-tested benefits. Glen outlines the categories for compensation recommended by Sir Brian and assures that multiple injury awards will be offered to reflect the scale of loss and suffering. The statement is met with applause from the public gallery, indicating support for the appointment of Robert Francis as the interim chair of the compensation body.
Infected blood scandal: minister announces compensation authority for victims – UK politics live | Politics
Glen says Infected Blood Compensation Authority being set up, with Robert Francis as interim chair
John Glen, the Cabinet Office minister, starts by reiterating the apology delivered by Rishi Sunak yesterday to victims of the infected blood scandal.
And he thanks Sir Brian Langstaff for his work.
He says meeting people from the infected blood community as he finalised details of the compensation was the greatest privilege of his ministerial career.
He says there will be a further chance for MPs to debate the report after the Whitsun recess.
And the government will respond to the recommendations as soon as it can.
The government will pay comprehensive compensation to those infected and affected, he says.
He says an Infected Blood Compensation Authority is being set up. Sir Robert Francis will be the interim chair of the organisation. (Francis produced the interim report on how a scheme should operate.)
Glen says people who have been infected with infected blood products will be eligible to claim compensation. And if an eligible person has died, compensation will be paid to their estate.
And he says that, when a person with an eligible infection is accepted, their loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right.
People already registered with the scheme already established will automatically be considered for compensation, Glen says.
UPDATE: Glen said:
When a person with an eligible infection has been accepted onto the scheme, their affected loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right.
That means partners, parents, siblings, children, friends and family who have acted as carers of those who are infected are all eligible to claim.
Now, I’m aware that being asked to provide evidence of eligibility will likely be distressing, so I’m determined to minimise that as much as possible and I’m pleased to confirm today that anyone already registered with one of the existing infected blood support schemes will automatically be considered eligible for compensation.
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Updated at 12.58 BST
Key events
Steve Brine (Con), chair of the health committee, asks if the financial loss element of compensation payments will reflect victims’ inability to get life insurance.
Glen says the social impact and autonomy categories capture a range of impacts.
He says he cannot give an answer on the specific life insurance point. But he says the team have tried to come up with the best way of assessing loss.
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Asked to explain why £210,000 was chosen as the new figure for interim compensation payments, Glen says he was trying to get the maximum amount he could pay to those alive, without paying the wrong amount. That was the figure he was given, he says.
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Chris Stephens, the SNP’s spokesperson on justice, tells MPs that he wants to echo the reaction from the public gallery (see 1pm) to the appointment of Robert Francis as interim chair of the compensation body.
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Emilio Casalicchio from Politico says people in the public gallery have been applauding Glen’s statement.
NEW: Rare sight of people clapping in the Commons public galleries as Cabinet Office Minister John Glen announces Robert Francis (who led the probe into Mid Staffs) will oversee infected blood compensation
— Emilio Casalicchio (@e_casalicchio) May 21, 2024
NEW: Rare sight of people clapping in the Commons public galleries as Cabinet Office Minister John Glen announces Robert Francis (who led the probe into Mid Staffs) will oversee infected blood compensation
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Glen says victims to get further interim payments of £210,000 within 90 days
Glen also said the government would be making further interim payments.
Victims have already received interim payments of £100,000.
Glen said, in addition to that, further interim payments of £210,000 would be made.
UPDATE: Glen said:
Today I’m announcing the government will be making further interim payments ahead of the establishment of the full scheme.
Payments of £210,000 will be made to living infected beneficiaries, those registered with existing infected blood support schemes, as well as those who register with the support scheme before the final scheme becomes operational, and the estates of those who pass away between now and payments being made.
I know that time is of the essence, which is why I’m also pleased to say that they will be delivered within 90 days, starting in the summer, so that they can reach those who need it so urgently most.
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Updated at 13.18 BST
Glen says victims should start getting final compensation payments before end of year
Glen said people would be able to appeal if they feel compensation payments are too low.
We’ll also ensure that all claimants are able to appeal their award, both through an internal review process in the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and, where needed, the right to appeal to a first-tier tribunal.
Our expectation is that final payments will start before the end of the year.
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Updated at 13.10 BST
Glen said the compensation scheme would be tariff based.
He said the infected blood community would be consulted before the precise terms of the scheme are set in regulations.
He said the scheme would be flexible. People will be able to take a lump sum, or regular payments, he said.
And he said payments would be exempt from income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. And they would be disregarded for people being assessed for means-tested benefits, he said.
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Glen says:
In his report, Sir Brian recommended compensation be awarded with respect to the following five categories.
An injury impact award acknowledging the physical and mental injury caused by the infection; a social impact award to address the stigma or social isolation as a result of the infection; an autonomy award, acknowledging how family and private life was disrupted during this time; a care award to compensate for past and future care needs of anyone infected; and, finally, a financial loss award for past and future financial losses suffered as a result of the infection.
The government accepts this recommendation, with two small refinements informed by the work of the expert group and designed for simplicity and speed – two other principles that Sir Brian asserted.
First, the care award will be directly awarded to the person with the infection or their estate, and, second, the financial loss award will be paid either directly to the person with the infection or where an infected person has tragically died before the establishment of the scheme, their estate and affected persons who are dependent on them.
Now, sadly, many people have links to multiple individuals who are infected, or are both infected themselves and affected by another’s infection, so multiple injury awards will be offered to reflect the scale of the loss and suffering.
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Updated at 13.05 BST
Glen says Infected Blood Compensation Authority being set up, with Robert Francis as interim chair
John Glen, the Cabinet Office minister, starts by reiterating the apology delivered by Rishi Sunak yesterday to victims of the infected blood scandal.
And he thanks Sir Brian Langstaff for his work.
He says meeting people from the infected blood community as he finalised details of the compensation was the greatest privilege of his ministerial career.
He says there will be a further chance for MPs to debate the report after the Whitsun recess.
And the government will respond to the recommendations as soon as it can.
The government will pay comprehensive compensation to those infected and affected, he says.
He says an Infected Blood Compensation Authority is being set up. Sir Robert Francis will be the interim chair of the organisation. (Francis produced the interim report on how a scheme should operate.)
Glen says people who have been infected with infected blood products will be eligible to claim compensation. And if an eligible person has died, compensation will be paid to their estate.
And he says that, when a person with an eligible infection is accepted, their loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right.
People already registered with the scheme already established will automatically be considered for compensation, Glen says.
UPDATE: Glen said:
When a person with an eligible infection has been accepted onto the scheme, their affected loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right.
That means partners, parents, siblings, children, friends and family who have acted as carers of those who are infected are all eligible to claim.
Now, I’m aware that being asked to provide evidence of eligibility will likely be distressing, so I’m determined to minimise that as much as possible and I’m pleased to confirm today that anyone already registered with one of the existing infected blood support schemes will automatically be considered eligible for compensation.
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Updated at 12.58 BST
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, starts by saying that more time than usual has been set aside for this statement.
That means it could last well beyond an hour.
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Cabinet Office minister John Glen to make statement to MPs on compensation for infected blood scandal victims
John Glen, the Cabinet Office minister, is about to deliver a statement to MPs on compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal.
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Rayner says Labour will aim for its new town developments to have 40% social or affordable homes
Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader and shadow levelling up secretary, gave details this morning of the “new towns code” that Labour will apply to decide where new towns can be built.
Labour would not just be demanding “more units, at any cost,” she said.
She went on:
The reason many local communities resist new homes is often because the housing is of the wrong type, in the wrong place – it doesn’t come with the schools, GP surgeries and green spaces that make communities, not just streets.
Or the affordable and social housing local people need.
Our next generation of new towns will build homes fit for the future. Creating places where people want to live. Inspired by garden suburbs like Hale in Manchester, Roundhay in Leeds, and the Garden City project.
We will set out a new towns code – criteria that developers must meet in these new settlements:
-More social and affordable homes – with a gold standard aim of 40 per cent
-Buildings with character, in tree-lined streets that fit in with nearby areas
-Design that pays attention to local history and identity
-Planning fit for the future, with good links to town and city centres
-Guaranteed public transport and public services, from doctors’ surgeries to schools
-And access to nature, parks, and places for children to play.
New towns are just one way we get good quality, affordable houses built in the national interest.
Our local housing recovery plan will reverse the Conservatives’ damaging changes to planning, getting stalled sites moving at speed.
Peter Walker has more from the speech here.
Angela Rayner giving a speech on Labour’s plans for new towns at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds this morning. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PAShare
Home Office publishes Walney review on political violence, with Sunak promising to study recommendations in detail
Rishi Sunak said this morning that the government would be carefully studying the proposals in the report from John Woodcock (Lord Walney) on political violence. Speaking in Austria, Sunak said:
Extremism has no place in our society. Threatening or intimidating behaviour that disrupts the lives of ordinary hardworking people isn’t acceptable.
I have been very clear about that, I want to make sure the police have our full backing and the powers they need to clamp down on it.
That is why we have given them those new powers, making sure that we can ban the use of face coverings, flares, pyrotechnics, climbing on war memorials …
Of course, we will study Lord Walney’s recommendations in detail, but I am very clear it is not the British way to behave in an intimidating or threatening manner and we will make sure the police have our full support and backing in clamping down on that type of behaviour.
The Home Office has just published the Walney review, entitled Protecting our Democracy from Coercion. Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, was more complimentary about it this morning (see 10.58am), but ministers have not given a firm commitment to supporting its recommendations.
Woodcock was commissioned to write the report more than three years ago and he has been briefing reporters on some of his proposals for some months now.
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Read the full story on www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/may/21/officials-politicians-face-prosecution-infected-blood-scandal-commons-statement-uk-politics-latest-updates