Press release

Infected Blood Compensation body and Victims and Prisoners Bill become law

An update on the Infected Blood Compensation body and Victims and Prisoners Bill.

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Today (Friday 24th May) the Victims and Prisoners Bill was granted Royal Assent, creating a new arm’s length body called the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).
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Before the IBCA can makeÌýfinalÌýpayments, the Government will need to make the regulations to enact the compensation scheme for victims of the Infected Blood scandal.Ìý»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp legislation also means that the final regulations must be made by the Government - within three months, so by 24ÌýAugust 2024.Ìý

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Prime Minister delivered a stateÌýapologyÌýon the 20thÌýof May, in response to the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry report.Ìý

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Minister for the Cabinet Office outlined the Government’s commitment to deliver compensation on the 21stÌýof May in theÌýHouse, alongside a proposed compensation scheme. ÌýÌý

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Government will continue to deliver interim payments,Ìýincluding theÌý£210,000Ìýannounced on the 21stÌýof May,ÌýtoÌýthose living with an infection,Ìýstarting in this summer, and within 90 days as of the 20th of May as announced by the Government.
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»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Department for HealthÌýand Social CareÌýhas received the advance of £837 million to fund the interim payments.Ìý»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappse payments will be made by the NHS Business Services Authority andÌýequivalent organisations.Ìý

Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA)

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp IBCA is led by Interim Chair Sir Robert Francis KC. Sir Robert will continue engagement with the Infected Blood community in the coming weeks.Ìý»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappÌýinterimÌýCEO of the IBCA has been in place for some weeks.Ìý

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Lord’s amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill were considered in the House of Commons today as part of the ‘wash upâ€� process ahead of the general election period starting on Saturday 25 May.Ìý
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In addition, a statutory duty to review candour laws by the 1stÌýof January 2025 has been included in the Act. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Inquiry recommended that due consideration be made of a duty of candour across Government.
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Sir Robert Francis, Interim Chair of the IBCA, said:

I am very pleased to see that today Parliament has passed the legislation bringing the Authority into existence and to be formally confirmed as its Interim Chair.Ìý

I fully understand the urgency for the infected and affected community to enable the Authority to start to receive applications and make awards in the shortest possible time, and we are already working very hard to achieve that.

I will publish a more detailed statement about our work in the very near future.

Ends

Updates to this page

Published 24 May 2024