Written questions by Wishart.

What consideration is being given to altering the Hepatitis C Financial Loss Award to reflect people who received older and more harmful treatments; and if he will make a statement.

In its Additional Report, the Infected Blood Inquiry recommended changes to the infection severity bands to give greater recognition for the suffering caused particularly by interferon treatment. The Government agrees that changes are needed and has consulted on a proposal to introduce a new infection severity band, referred to as Level 2B, which would increase people’s financial loss and care compensation awards where relevant, to recognise the short-term side-effects that many people suffer due to interferon treatment.The Government will publish its response to the consultation, which will set out its final decisions on the compensation scheme, within 12 weeks of the closing date. I therefore hope to update Parliament soon on the changes I intend to make to the compensation scheme as a result of the public consultation.

What justification is being applied to changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, where individuals who suffered long-term health harms of interferon treatment are to receive an uplift in compensation from 2017 onwards rather than from when their treatment began.

The Inquiry recommended changes to the infection severity bands to give greater recognition for the suffering caused by interferon treatment. The Government agrees that changes are needed and we have consulted on our proposal to introduce a new infection severity band, referred to as Level 2B, which would increase people’s financial loss and care compensation awards where relevant, to recognise the short-term side-effects that many, but not all, people suffer due to interferon treatment.The Government proposed that all infected people who have received treatment with interferon will qualify for the proposed Level 2B infection severity band. It will be part of their core compensation award and people will be eligible for it even if they were only able to tolerate interferon treatment for a very short period.We recognise that some infected people have suffered and continue to suffer debilitating, long-term impacts on their ability to work. We have therefore consulted on a proposal to introduce a new Special Category Mechanism (SCM) Severe Health Condition award which would offer higher awards for financial loss and care based on the enduring impact that people have experienced in relation to their ability to work and their need for care.The consultation closed on 22 January, and the Government will publish its response within 12 weeks of this closing date.

What considerations have been given to extending the cut-off date for eligibility for the Unethical Research Award in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme beyond 1984, given the evidence in the Infected Blood Inquiry (Additional Report on Compensation) that experimentation on both adults and children continued beyond this date.

The Inquiry, in its Additional Report, made a set of recommendations about the Unethical Research awards. The Government has consulted on these recommendations, including on a proposal to expand eligibility for Unethical Research awards to all infected people who received treatment for a bleeding disorder in the UK before 1985. The Government is now carefully considering the range of responses it received on this issue before determining its final position on eligibility.The consultation closed on 22 January, and the Government will publish its response within 12 weeks of this closing date.

If he will publish the grounds of justification for the reduction in hepatitis C Financial Loss Awards from 2017 due to the introduction of new effective treatments; and if he will make a statement.

The compensation scheme assumes that the introduction of effective treatments in 2016 improved most infected people’s ability to effectively manage their infection. This assumption is applied when calculating financial loss for living infected people.The Government recognises that some people did not receive effective treatment for their particular infection in the year it was introduced, and not everyone was able to continue working for a range of reasons including continued illness, or due to the length of time out of the workforce.In line with the recommendation made in the Inquiry’s Additional Report, the Compensation Scheme now offers a route through which infected people can show that they were unable to return to work, or unable to work at the assumed level, even after the introduction of effective treatments. The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2025 do this by removing the earnings floor on the supplementary route Exceptional Loss award for Financial Loss, to ensure that a route is available for infected people to present evidence on their actual earnings loss.This change offers people the ability to demonstrate they had continued financial loss, even after the introduction of effective treatments, so they can be compensated fairly for this under the compensation scheme.

When the Government was first advised by the Office for National Statistics that the information provided by coroners on death registrations relating to drug deaths could lack detail on the specific drugs involved.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.

Where the role of Envoy to the Regions and Nations will be based.

The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.

How many full time equivalent staff will be allocated to the office of the Envoy to the Regions and Nations.

The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.

What the total operating budget of the Envoy to the Regions and Nations will be.

The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.