§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of the terms of the settlement of the litigation by those people who contracted HIV through infected blood products; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI welcome the announcement today in court of the conclusion of this litigation and the acceptance of the terms of a settlement by the overwhelming majority of those in England and Wales who were pursuing action.
Under the terms of the settlement the payments to be made are:
446W
£ each To each individual who is an infected haemophiliac: Infant (person under 18 years old) 21,500 Single adult 23,500 Married adult without dependent children 32,000 Haemophiliac with dependent children 60,500 Infected intimates of HIV infected haemophiliac: (a) adults or married infants 23,500 (b) unmarried infants 21,500 Category G plaintiffs (ie those litigants who have not sero-converted and/or been infected with HIV to their knowledge, but are at risk of doing so because they are the intimates of haemophiliacs who have sero-converted and/or been infected with HIV or developed AIDS). 2,000 The payment amounts are those put forward by the steering committee of solicitors representing the HIV-infected haemophiliacs and their counsel, and agreed by the Government.
The Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust which was set up on 3 May has already begun to make the payments. A similar offer has been made to settle the separate litigation in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The payments will also be available to HIV infected haemophiliacs and infected intimates who had not joined litigation against any Department and who undertake not to do so in future.
While maintaining its denial of any negligence, the Government have provided £42 million to cover the cost of the payments. This is in addition to the £24 million made available in 1990 to provide a sum of £20,000 for each HIV-infected haemophiliac. We are also committed to ensuring that the original Macfarlane Trust set up in March 1988 with a Government grant of £10 million will continue to be able to give additional help where there is special need. These payments are in recognition of the very special and tragic circumstances of the haemophiliacs infected by HIV and provide a substantial measure of financial security for them and their families.
Furthermore, the Government remain committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate services and treatments are available to the haemophiliacs, their partners and all others infected with HIV to try to alleviate and delay the effects of this infection. We continue to contribute to the research effort both here and worldwide, primarily to find a vaccine against HIV infection and a cure for the disease itself. We also continue to give substantial ring-fenced funds, amounting to almost £150 million in the current year, to the NHS and other organisations as the Government's contribution towards the cost of preventing the further spread of HIV and of providing appropriate diagnostic, treatment, care and support services.