Highlights from meeting with Minister for the Cabinet Office

On Friday, representatives from Haemophilia Scotland, the Scottish Infected Blood Forum and the affected Scottish community gathered in Edinburgh for a meeting with the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon John Glen MP.  Ms Jenni Minto, the Scottish Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health was also in attendance.

Mr Glen began the meeting by extending an apology to all individuals and families harmed by the failures of successive governments over the past five decades.  He then outlined the progress made since his appointment on the 13^th of November 2023 and following the recent developments in the House of Lords.

• With initial amendments for the establishment of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) agreed in the House of Lords last month, Royal Assent is anticipated to be sometime in June or July.
• Dave Foley, appointed as Interim Chief Executive, has been tasked with establishing a shadow body by the 20^th of May.  Mr Foley was selected for his wealth of experience and has never held previous roles within the Department of Health.
• Stated that registration for the new compensation scheme for those not already registered with existing support schemes will be made available shortly after the 20^th of May.
• Confirmed that the appointment of IBCA Chair will involve community engagement and further input with the community is expected during secondary legislation.  Did not have details yet on the implementation of this process, acknowledging the challenges posed by divergent views and priorities among the affected groups and patient organisations.
• Has had 18 separate meetings with 40 different individuals or groups representing the affected communities over the past ten days.
• Acknowledged that there is very little to no trust at all in the Government and completely understands the reasons behind this.
• Awareness of the scandal dates back to meetings held when working as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the second most senior position after the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
• The decision to establish an Expert Group was made shortly after his appointment as Minister for the Cabinet Office.
• Recognised the concerns over Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery’s professional history and refuted criticism on the appointment.  Mr Glen did explain however that this should have been better communicated to the community in advance.     
• Explained that the Expert Group’s purpose is to translate the recommendations from both Sir Brian Langstaff’s Interim Report and Sir Robert Francis’s Study into a workable compensation scheme. 
• The Expert Group are looking at the injury, social impact, autonomy, care needs and financial impact to both those infected and affected by contaminated blood.  Admitted that the final format of the tariffs for compensation are not there yet and is waiting on results from the Expert Group’s work in time for Government response.
• Has never been given a specific budget on the cost of the compensation scheme and is working to establish the IBCA as soon as reasonably practical.  This was reiterated throughout the meeting and appeared to be a matter of priority for the Minister.

The meeting was then opened to those in attendance to ask questions and highlight key concerns within the community, with Mr Glen stating that he would “be as transparent as I can, when I can.” 

The responses to this exchange are summarised as follows:

• When asked if there was any Scottish legal experience within the Expert Group for damages, Mr Glen gave assurances that the compensation scheme will be UK based and will cover all the elements of the Scottish legal system.
• Mr Glen emphasised that the timing of the Government’s response was not his to make, indicating that this falls under the Prime Minister’s authority.  However, he has already recommended that the response should not coincide with the day of the Inquiry Report publication.
• Mr Glen discussed the delicate balance between speed and efficiency regarding the matter of a second round of interim compensation and concerns raised over legislation.  Stressed that he is committed to addressing the needs for those not yet registered but equally entitled to compensation.
• When asked about potential differences of opinion between the reports from Sir Brian Langstaff and Sir Robert Francis and the Expert Group, Mr Glen explained that although the Inquiry Reports included recommendations on the scope of compensation, the actual figures and values for a compensation matrix had not been provided. The Expert Group are therefore responsible for this work and clearly define who is eligible for compensation and to what extent.
• Acknowledged the clear distinction between support payments and compensation, with his task at hand being the establishment of a compensation scheme.  Mr Glen mentioned that there are currently no intentions to alter existing support schemes, though discussions regarding their long-term future have taken place.  He emphasised, however, that no final decisions have been reached on this matter.
• The Minister expressed his own concerns over the vulnerability of recipients of large compensation payments and was conscious of the need to protect them from unsound investment advice.  There was an indication that options for possible staged payments would be included within the compensation scheme.
• The meeting then concluded by concerns about the ongoing harm caused to individuals not currently registered to support schemes, such as those infected by Hepatitis B.  Mr Glen acknowledged these concerns and spoke of the necessity for further work on the impact on these individuals.  He committed to convey these concerns to the Expert Group for consideration.

Overall, the Minister addressed each question raised and there was a general sense of positivity regarding the progress made and that our concerns were noted. 

We are very grateful for the opportunity to engage with the Minister directly and hope for continued dialogue as further details on the IBCA are made available.