§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many individuals have lodged court cases claiming damages for contracting HIV through infected national health service blood or blood products; and, of those, how many are haemophiliacs;
(2) how many people who have taken court action as plaintiffs claiming damages in respect of contracting HIV through national health service infected blood or blood products have died since they issued proceedings; and, of these, how many are haemophiliacs;
(3) how many of the court cases claiming damages for contracting HIV through national health service infected blood or blood products have been lodged by individuals in their own right; how many have been lodged on behalf of minors; and, in each of these groups, how many are haemophiliacs;
(4) what information he has on how many people who have contracted HIV through national health service infected blood or blood products have not lodged court cases claiming damages; and, of those, how many are haemophiliacs.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 12 November 1990]: We are not aware that any writs have been served on the Government by individuals infected with HIV from whole blood. Some writs have been served on health authorities, but we do not have details.
There are 962 plaintiffs pursuing allegations in respect of infection with HIV through blood products. This includes 775 claims in respect of haemophiliacs, of which 107 are in respect of minors. An estimated 360 HIV-infected haemophiliacs have not lodged court cases. Ninety-one cases are being pursued in respect of haemophiliacs who have died, but it is not known how many of these have died since the start of the litigation.