§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
From what budgets the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products will be funded; and [HL2239]
From what budgets the payments scheme for infection with HIV from contaminated National Health Service blood products is funded. [HL2240]
§ Lord WarnerThe Departments of Health in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be funding the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme, known as the Skipton Fund, from central departmental budgets.
The payment schemes for those inadvertently infected with HIV as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products, the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts, are funded from the Department of Health's Central Health and Miscellaneous Services budget and by Section 64 grant aid.
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why widows of haemophilia patients who have died of hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products are to be excluded from help under the proposed ex gratia 30WA payments scheme, while the widows of patients who have died from HIV infection are included in the existing payments scheme for that infection. [HL2241]
§ Lord WarnerUnlike the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts, which administer schemes for those infected with HIV, the ex gratia payment scheme for those infected with hepatitis C as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products, known as the Skipton Fund, is not a charitable trust.
The Skipton Fund has been designed to make lump sum, ex gratia payments to those living with the hepatitis C virus and has not been designed to compensate for bereavement. For these reasons it is distinct from the HIV payment schemes.
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What limits the Department of Health has imposed on its consultation with the Haemophilia Society on implementation of the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C from contaminated National Health Service blood products; and for what reason. [HL2242]
§ Lord WarnerRepresentatives of the Haemophilia Society have met with officials and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health during the course of the Department of Health's deliberations on the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme. A constructive dialogue has been established and is continuing.
Most recently, officials from the health departments in England, Scotland and Wales met representatives of the Haemophilia Society and other patient groups on 26 March 2004 to discuss the implementation of the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme, and in particular the application process. The Department of Health welcomes further feedback from the Haemophilia Society and other interested parties on this and any other aspect of the implementation of scheme.
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the total sum paid by the Macfarlane Trust to the widows and other dependants of haemophilia patients who have died from HIV infection caused by contaminated National Health Service blood and blood products. [HL2280]
§ Lord WarnerSpecific figures for the total sum paid by the Macfarlane Trust to widows and other dependants of haemophilia patients are not available. The scheme of payments adopted by the trust and its provision for regular and one-off payments makes it impossible to calculate how much money has been paid to these recipients.
31WA
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will require people to be included in the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products to sign a waiver before payment; and, if so, in what terms and on what grounds. [HL2281]
§ Lord WarnerRecipients of payments made under the hepatitis C ex gratia payments scheme, known as the Skipton Fund, will not be required to sign any form of waiver.