Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Can the Tories ensure the infected blood scandal never happens again?

Rishi Sunak (Credit: Getty images)

Are the compensation payments announced today for victims of the infected blood scandal a just response to what happened? Paymaster General John Glen announced that on top of the £100,000 interim payments already made to victims, an additional £210,000 will be paid within 90 days. Glen explained the urgency: ‘I recognise that each week members of the infected blood community are dying from their infections. There may be people – indeed, there will be people – listening today who are thinking to themselves that they may not live to receive compensation, so I want to address those concerns, too.’

Families and carers for those infected will be able to claim in their own right, and an arms-length body administering the compensation will be set up immediately. People infected with HIV could be eligible for between £2.2 million and £2.6 million, and those infected with both HIV and hepatitis between £2.3 million and £2.7

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Isabel Hardman
Written by
Isabel Hardman
Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

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