Parliament returns – Contaminated blood

Parliament returned today after the Christmas and New Year recess. Although most of the first day has been taken up with the Armed Forces Bill which provides for the existence of our Country’s armed forces the Secretary of State for Health made an important statement which will be welcomed by thousands of people who were infected in the 1970’s and 1980’s with hepatitis C and HIV following blood transfusions where they received infected blood. The scope of Government assistance has been the source of controversy for years and the Secretary of State sought to draw a line on the issue today by announcing improved Government help for those patients who are affected and has backdated the compensation package available for the bereaved families of those patients who have died.