2003
1st May – 2nd Scottish Parliament Election
Lab 50 – SNP 27 – Con 18 – Lib Dem 17 – Green 7 – SSP 6 – SSC 1 – Ind 3
16th Jun – Scottish campaigner, Andy Gunn, is interviewed by Channel 4 news about his campaigning work. He has stood outside the Scottish Parliament for months, fought for his medical notes, and his objection to payments being contingent on signing a waiver. Tainted Blood.
13th Aug – Tom McCabe MSP [Lab] answered a question from Brian Adam MSP [SNP] about the amounts of plasma derived and recombinant Factor VIII and Factor IX used in the proceeding 10 years. The Scottish Parliament.
13th Aug – Tom McCabe MSP [Lab] answered a question from Brian Adam MSP [SNP] about the efficacy of treatment for Haemophilia. The Scottish Parliament.
13th Aug – Tom McCabe MSP [Lab] answered a question from Brian Dam MSP [SNP] about the number of adverse reactions from Factor VIII and Factor IX over the preceding 10 years. The Scottish Parliament.
9th Sep – Brian Adam MSP [SNP] tabled a motion calling for a Public Inquiry into the contaminated blood disaster. The motion was signed by 19 MSPs. The Scottish Parliament.
16th Sep – The Health Committee receives a paper from their Clerks and asked to consider how to proceed. The Official Report.
2nd Oct – Shona Robison MSP [SNP] raises the Lord Ross Report into contaminated blood and the need to improve financial support with Jack McConnell MSP [Lab] at First Ministers Question Time. The First Minister announced he was meeting representatives of those affected the following week. The Official Report.
7th Oct – Andy Gunn’s Petition (PE611) Contaminated Blood (Public Inquiry) was turned down by the Health Committee on the grounds the committee was already taking action on the issue. The Official Report.
2004
25th Mar – The Skipton Fund was established by the Department of Health (England), acting for and on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health, the Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland) (together “the UK health administrations”), to administer the scheme and make payments to relevant claimants on behalf of each of the UK health administrations. Scottish Ministers have adopted the Skipton Fund as a scheme under section 28 (Infection with hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment etc) of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005. The Skipton Fund.
4th May – The Minister, Malcolm Chisholm MSP [Lab], with Andrew Macleod and Sandra Falconer from the Scottish Executive Health Department gave evidence to the Health Committee. The Official Report. The Official Report.
3rd Jun – The Scottish Government announces that the Skipton Fund is open and people can register their details. The Scottish Government.
18th May – Malcolm Chisholm MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Christine Grahame MSP [SNP] about discussion around the design of forms used by the Macfarlane Trust. The Scottish Parliament.
7th Sept – First day in the new Scottish Parliament buildings. Contaminated blood protesters are arrested for throwing paint at the building to highlight the issue. The Edinburgh Evening News.
8th Oct – Carolyne Leakie MSP [SSP] tabled a motion against the stigmatisation of people with bleeding disorders who may have been exposed to vCJD as a public health risk. The Scottish Parliament. The motion was signed by 11 MSPs.
2005
1st Mar – Philip Dolan, Dave Bissett and Frank Maguire give evidence to the Health Committee as it scrutinises the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1. The Official Report.
14th Mar – Andy Kerr MSP [Lab] answered a question from Brian Adam MSP [SNP] about the number of people with Haemophilia and Hepatitis C who has been offered treatment. The Scottish Parliament.
22nd Mar – The Health Committee discuss the Hepatitis C financial support scheme (Skipton Fund) as part of the Stage 3 scrutiny of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill. The Official Report.
7th Apr – The Inquiries Act (Scotland) 2005 is given Royal Assent. The act will later be used to hold the Penrose Inquiry.
6th Jun – Andy Kerr MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Roseanna Cunningham MSP [SNP] about the information provided to people treated with Scottish Factor VIII before 1987. The Scottish Parliament.
21st Jun – Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee sits in in private to consider updated information and advice about the postponed Scottish Haemophilia Forum evidence session. The reason for that postponement was a question about whether the committee could proceed, given that legal proceedings were being set in train. The Official Report.
30th Jun – Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3. Andy Kerr MSP’s [Lab] amendment 24 which excludes some victims from the new support scheme passed by a very narrow margin. For 56, Against 52, Abstentions 0. The SSP were not present.
Amendment 65 (In section 24, page 22, line 20, leave out from <; and> to end of line 21) from Shona Robison MSP [SNP] fell. For 51, Against 57, Abstentions 0. The SSP were not present.
The Official Report.
SPPB 85: The Passage of the Bill: Smoking Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill 2004. see page 966.
5th Aug – Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 receives royal assent. Scottish Ministers have adopted the Skipton Fund as a scheme under section 28 (Infection with hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment etc).
1st Nov – The Health Committee discusses the outstanding evidence session on Hepatitis C in private. The Official Report.
1st Nov – Lewis Macdonald MSP [Lab] answers a question from Shona Robison MSP [SNP] about the number of people with Haemophilia who have died since 1994. The Scottish Parliament.
3rd Nov – Carolyne Leakie MSP [SSP] tables a motion highlighting the need for a wide audience for the Kelly Duda film, Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal, in the light of the destruction of key documents. 22 MSPs signed the motion. The Scottish Parliament.
3rd Nov – Lewis Macdonald MSP [Lab] answered a written question from John Farquhar Munro MSP [Lib Dem] about the payments to The Haemophilia Society from the Scottish Executive. The Scottish Parliament.
8th Nov – Andy Kerr MSP [Lab] answers a written question from John Farquhar Munro MSP [Lib Dem] about the use of imported blood plasma in products used by the NHS. The Scottish Parliament.
15th Nov – The Health Committee discuss what questions they would like to put to the Minister about the need for a Public Inquiry so that he can prepare some of his answers in light of the restrictions placed on him by the ongoing Judicial Review. The Official Report.
15th Nov – Andy Kerr MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Carolyne Leakie MSP [SSP] about the input of the Department of Health (UK) to the Scottish Executive internal review. The Scottish Parliament.
22nd Dec – Scottish Parliament Debate on motion S2M-3767, in the name of Carolyn Leckie MSP [SSP], on blood products calling for a Public Inquiry. However, parliament passed an amendment tabled by Lewis Macdonald, removing the call for an Inquiry. The Official Report.
2006
31st Jan – Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee considered the case for a Public Inquiry. Evidence taken from Philip Dolan, Frank Maguire, Robert Mackie, Andy Gunn. Andy Kerr MSP [Lab], Minister of Health and Community Care responded. The Official Report.
23rd Feb – Andy Kerr MSP [Lab] answered a written question from Carolyne Leakie MSP [SSP] about the failure to implement Council of Europe Recommendation No. R (83) 8 on the prevention of possible transmission of AIDS to patients receiving blood or blood products. The Scottish Parliament.
18th Apr – Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee called for a Public Inquiry into the issue of people who had been infected with hepatitis C through national health service treatment. The Official Report.
28th Jun – Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr MSP [Lab], rejected the call for an Inquiry saying, “I do not believe a public inquiry would either uncover any new evidence or information that is relevant to th causes of the infection of NHS patients through blood or blood products, or lead to significant lessons for the future. It would be a diversion of effort from delivering and improving health services today. I cannot see that there is any possible justification for the efforts and costs that would be involved, or that this would bring any benefit to the patients involved.” This is then discussed by the Health Committee. The Official Report.
Dec – Following work by contaminated blood activist Jeff Frew and others the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) published its first set of guidelines on Hepatitis C (92). This was the first time new set of guidelines brought forward by a non-clinician had been accepted. N.B. These guidelines have now been updated with the publication of SIGN Guidelines 133; this demonstrates the importance of having guidelines in this area.
2007
22nd Feb – Carolyn Leakie MSP [SSP] raised a point of order in relation to not all document relating to the contaminated blood disaster having being released. The Official Report.
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Campaigning in the 1st Scottish Parliament 1999 to 2003
Campaigning in the 3rd Scottish Parliament 2007 to 2011
Campaigning in the 4th Scottish Parliament 2011 to 2016
Campaigning in the 5th Scottish Parliament 2016
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