1999
6th May – 1st Scottish Parliament Election
Lab 56 partner in the 1st coalition Scottish Executive – SNP 35 – Con 18 – Lib Dem 17 partner in the 1st coalition Scottish Executive – Green 1 – SSP 1 – Ind 1
12th May – The new Scottish Parliament meets for the first time.
7th Jul – The first of many protests outside the Scottish Parliament. Those at the first demonstration included Robert Mackie, Bruce Norval, Andy Gunn and Bill Wright.
29th Sep – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Bristow Muldoon MSP [Lab] asking about how many people with Haemophilia have Hepatitis C. The Scottish Parliament.
2nd Nov – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a question from John Swinney MSP [SNP] about when heat treatment of blood products was introduced in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament.
2nd Nov – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a question from John Swinney MSP [SNP] about which clinical indicators lead to the start of the development of heat treatment of blood products. The Scottish Parliament.
2nd Nov – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a question from Fergus Ewing MSP [SNP] about whether the Scottish Executive would make representations to open the MacFarlane Trust to those infected with Hepatitis C. The Scottish Parliament.
2nd Nov – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a question from Fergus Ewing MSP [SNP] about whether the Scottish Executive would set up a scheme similar to the MacFarlane Trust for those infected with Hepatitis C. The Scottish Parliament.
24th Nov – Brian Adam MSP [SNP] tabled a motion calling for an Independent Inquiry. The motion was signed by 71 MSPs. The Scottish Parliament.
7th Dec – The Health and Community Care Committee, convened by Margaret Smith MSP [LibDem] considers a request to hold their own Inquiry into the contaminated blood issue. The Convenor reported that the Executive is holding an internal inquiry into some of the issues that arose from the problems in the supply of blood. The committee postpones a decision until after an Internal Inquiry has been completed. The Official Report.
17th Dec – The Public Petitions Committee, convened by John McAllion MSP [Lab] recieves Petition PE45 from Mr P Ferguson which calls for an independent inquiry into the contaminated blood disaster. The petition is referred to the Health and Community Care Committee. The Official Report.
2000
17th Jan – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Fergus Ewing MSP [SNP] about the prevalance of hepatitis C in the general population when blood products were first being used to treat people with Haemophilia. The Scottish Parliament.
26th Jan – The Health and Community Care Committee decides to wait until the Executive’s internal report in complete before discussing the substance of petition PE45. The Official Report.
11th Apr – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Brian Adam MSP [SNP] about whether the Scottish Executive would commission and Independent Inquiry. The Scottish Parliament.
16th May – Dr Aileen Keel used contaminated blood products and Haemophilia as an example of financial risk when giving evidence to the Finance Committee. The Official Report.
7th Jun – The Health and Community Care Committee, responding to a petition from Thomas McKissock, notes that contaminated blood shouldn’t always be referred to only in the context of Haemophilia as others are affected too. It also decides to chase up the Scottish Executive Internal Inquiry Report. The Official Report.
21st Jun – The Health and Community Care Committee receives reply to its letter to the Minister. John Swinney MSP [SNP] attends to raise his constituents concerns that the remit of the Internal Inquiry maybe too narrow. The Official Report.
FOI request for the correspondence is pending.
6th Jul – As the Minister responsible, Susan Deacon MSP [Lab], takes questions during a plenary session of the Scottish Parliament. She reveals that she has a copy of the Scottish Executive Internal Inquiry Report and will publish it, with her response, soon. The Official Report.
20th Sep – The Health and Community Care Committee meets and considers PE45 and PE185. PE185 relates to the need for compensation for all those infected. The Committee expresses its frustration that the Scottish Executive Internal Inquiry Report has still not been published. The Official Report.
24th Oct – Scottish Executive Internal Inquiry Report is published.
REPORT: Hepatitis C and Heat Treatment of Blood Products for Haemophiliacs in the mid 1980s.
Scottish Executive News Release: SE2726/2000.
24th Oct – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] replies to a question from John Scott MSP [Con] about the publication date of the Internal Report. The Scottish Parliament.
25th Oct – Health and Community Care Committee discusses the Scottish Executive Internal Inquiry Report and questioned the Minister for Health and Community Care, Susan Deacon MSP [Lab]. The Official Report.
26th Oct – Dennis Canavan MSP [Ind] uses the failure to provide proper compensation to those affected by the contaminated blood disaster as an example of ongoing injustice in his opening remarks when seeking nomination as First Minister following the death of Donald Dewar MSP [Lab]. The Official Report.
12th Dec – Health and Community Care Committee discusses petitions from Thomas McKissock and Philip Dolan. They had heard that those affected felt that the Government’s response to the request for an inquiry was lacking. It decided to hear more evidence from the Haemophilia Society (West of Scotland Group) and to raise a concern with the Minister that they were not honouring a commitment to meet with The Haemophilia Society. The Official Report.
2001
14th Mar – Health and Community Care Committee debates Hepatitis C. Evidence is heard from Philip Dolan, Karin Pappenheim, Bill Wright and Ken Peacock. The Official Report.
26th Mar – Brian Adam MSP [SNP] tabled a motion welcoming compensation payments in England and calling on the Scottish Executive to review the decision to refuse compensation. The motion was signed by 35 MSPs. The Scottish Parliament.
5th Apr – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Brian Adam MSP [SNP] asking if the Scottish Executive were planning to review their decision not to hold an Inquiry. The Scottish Parliament.
25th Apr – A member of the SPICe team briefed the Health and Community Care Committee in relation to petitions PE45 and PE185. The Official Report.
26th Apr – Plenary Session on Hepatitis C.
The Official Report appeared to have a technical problem at the time of writing.
23rd May – Health and Community Care Committee take evidence from the Minister for Health and Community Care, Susan Deacon MSP as part of their work in response to petitions PE45 and PE185 from Philip Dolan and Thomas McKissock respectively. The Official Report.
21st Jun – The Health and Community Care Committee discussed the drafting of their report on Haemophilia and Hepatitis C. The Official Report.
26th Jun – Dr Aileen Keel (Scottish Executive Health Department) speaks in evidence to the Finance Committee in relation to a proposed amendment to contingent liabilities in relation toe the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS); specifically the addition of clinical trials to the list. The proposal was to add Scottish patients to a recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) trial in response to a manufacturing shortage of the standard recombinant product. The Official Report.
27th Jun – The Health and Community Care Committee discuss petitions PE185 and PE45 on Haemophilia and Hepatitis C in private. The Official Report.
19th Sep – The Health and Community Care Committee discuss the draft report on Haemophilia and Hepatitis C in private. The Official Report.
19th Sep – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] responds to a written question from Nicola Sturgeon MSP [SNP] about whether clotting factor products that hadn’t been heat treated continued to be used in 1987 despite the availability of heat treated alternatives. The Scottish Parliament.
20th Sep – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] responds to a written question from Nicola Sturgeon MSP [SNP] about the death rate in people with Haemophilia. The Scottish Parliament.
3rd Oct – The Health and Community Care Committee publish a report into the contaminated blood issue which recommended that the Executive set up an expert group to consider not only financial assistance to those who had been affected but the wider issue of the national health service making no-fault compensation payments. Scottish Parliament Paper 398.
5th Dec – Susan Deacon MSP [Lab] responds to a written question from Mary Scanlon MSP [Con] about whether a particular blood plasma product is safe. The Scottish Parliament.
2002
9th Jan – The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) produces a new briefing on the Hepatitis C Virus debate in the Scottish Parliament. SPICe Reseach Briefing.
10th Jan – A plenary debate on motion S1M-2565, in the name of Margaret Smith MSP [LibDem], on behalf of the Health and Community Care Committee, on its report into Hepatitis C. The Official Report.
30th Jan – Malcolm Chisholm MSP [Lab], as the Minister responsible came to the Health and Community Care Committee to discuss the details of the establishment of the Expert Group. The Official Report.
24th Apr – Scottish Parliament passes the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. www.legislation.gov.uk
28th May – Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 received royal assent. Robert and Alice Mackie get to work using the new powers to track down vital documentation about the contaminated blood disaster. www.legislation.gov.uk
13th Nov – The Health and Community Care Committee agreed to wait until 11th December for a more detailed ministerial update. The Official Report.
11th Dec – The Health and Community Care Committee. Maintaining their interest in the position of individuals who were infected with Hepatitis C as a result of contaminated blood products and other health interventions the committee takes evidence from Lord Ross. The committee considered the interim report of the Expert Group on Financial and other Assistance for NHS Injury produced by Lord Ross. Evidence was also taken from Philip Dolan. The Official Report.
19th Dec – Nicola Sturgeon MSP [SNP] tabled a motion seeking to have money allocated to fund a ex gratia scheme for people affected by the contaminated blood disaster. .
19th Dec – Margaret Smith MSP, used a Plenary Session on stage 2 of the budget process to table an amendment to an amendment seeking to ensure funding for an ex gratia settlement for those affected by the contaminated blood disaster. The Official Report.
2003
29th Jan – The Minster for Health and Community Care, Malcolm Chisholm MSP [Lab], came to the Health and Community Care Committee to update on progress following the work of the Expert Group and the establishment of an ex gratia payment scheme. The Official Report.
25th Feb – The Health Committee, convened by Margaret Smith MSP [LibDem}, takes Item 6 in private in order to hear legal advice. Item 5 is a briefing from Philip Dolan which informs them he is establishing a Freephone number to be displayed in Haemophilia Centres. The information from Mr Dolan was noted. The Official Report.
18th Mar – Andy Gunn brings petition PE611 to the Public Petitions Committee, makes statement and answers questions. The petition calls on the Parliament to initiate and independent public inquiry into matters related to contaminated blood that was given to people affected by haemophilia and to determine proper compensation. The Official Report.
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