Infected blood compensation debated by MPs

Written by Jessica Bomford, June 18, 2026

The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme was debated by MPs in the House of Commons on 18 June.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, the Paymaster General and minister with responsibility for delivering the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendations, listened to the debate in which more than 20 MPs spoke, often about constituents impacted by the scandal. One MP described the delay in delivering justice to the infected blood community as ‘a moral stain on our nation’. You can watch the debate back here.

The debate was initiated by Clive Efford MP, pictured, who is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood. Most MPs acknowledged that progress had been made but many raised the issue of the slow pace of compensation payments by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).

Mike Wood MP, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, told Mr Thomas-Symonds: ‘We hear from families across the country who feel they are stuck in an unbearable limbo. They watched the inquiry conclude, heard the apologies from the despatch box. They’ve seen the compensation scheme launched yet they still wake up every day wondering when their claim will even be assessed.’

MPs raised a range of issues, including:

  • Concerns about an increasing burden of bureaucracy on application processes
  • The need for a clear timeline for the payment of compensation for all groups
  • Disparities between payments to estates and surviving infected people
  • The need for an update on whether criminal charges are likely to be brought
  • How the compensation figure for the unethical research award was calculated and whether it sufficiently reflected the seriousness of medical testing, especially on children
  • Confusion over inheritance tax
  • Pressure on haemophilia centres over requests for information from IBCA case managers
  • The need to learn from what happened and, potentially, to set up a new body which oversees compensation schemes to ensure each one does not start from scratch each time
  • The impact of interferon treatment on people with hepatitis C and the need to ensure this is adequately reflected by the compensation payments.

The government is expected to lay the next set of regulations which make changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme before Parliament very soon. These are likely to be approved before MPs start their summer break.

Responding to the debate, Mr Thomas-Symonds told MPs:

  • Unethical research on children was ‘heinous’ and that no award could compensate for what happened. He said the award was one element of the overall settlement.
  • He was ‘troubled’ by reports of unnecessary requests for paperwork and asked MPs to submit specific examples of problem areas. He stressed that he favoured a ‘sympathetic’ approach to gathering evidence.
  • The National Police Chief Council, which is overseeing investigations into whether criminal proceedings will follow the Infected Blood Inquiry, is currently considering terms of reference for a ‘further review’ of evidence.
  • The recent national Service of Recognition, Remembrance and Reflection in St Paul’s Cathedral on 19 May 2026, which he attended, underscored the importance of ‘getting things right’.
  • He pledged to continue to try to do the same for compensation payments and the delivery of the inquiry’s wider recommendations.

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