§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rationale was for the decision to disallow compensation from the Hepatitis C ex gratia scheme for the dependants of those who died of the disease prior to 29 August 2003. [155536]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe underlying principle behind the Hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme is to target available resources to help alleviate the suffering of people living with the virus. The payments are not designed to compensate for bereavement. The scheme's eligibility criteria reflect this, but were considered in the context of other demands on the health care budget.