Damien Moore MP for Southport calls for immediate payments to victims of infected blood scandal.

Yesterday, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, Jeremy Quin MP, gave a statement on the Infected Blood Inquiry in the House of Commons, following the publication of the Second Interim Report by the Chair of the Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff.

Mr. Moore has long called for victims and victims’ families to be adequately compensated at the earliest opportunity, speaking last November in a debate in Parliament on the issue. Yesterday, at the Minister’s statement, Mr. Moore again raised the urgency of making these compensation payments as soon as possible, and called on the Government to ensure that there are no further delays.

Mr. Moore has spoken with some of his constituents in Southport who have been affected by this scandal, and their personal, heart-breaking stories have had an enormous impact on his work in Westminster. As he outlined in his contribution to Parliament, all 19 recommendations laid out by Sir Robert Francis QC relating to compensation should be adopted as soon as possible, as without adopting them, Mr. Moore’s constituents are continuing to be deprived of compensation that they deserve.

In particular, Mr. Moore made specific reference to recommendation Number Five, arguing that there is a strong moral case for the government to provide compensation to close family members of victims, who have been directly affected by the devastating impact on their loved ones who were given infected blood. 

The publication of Sir Robert’s full report is anticipated to be later this year. Mr. Moore’s office remains open to provide support to constituents affected by the scandal.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said: 

“I remain appalled that the victims of this tragedy are not only yet to receive the full compensation they deserve, but that many victims’ families, including some of my constituents in Southport, are yet to receive any compensation at all.

“I have again called in Parliament, speaking in the House of Commons, for the Government to pay compensation to victims’ families as soon as possible, and to right the outrageous moral injustice that this tragedy has caused.

“I will continue doing all I can to support my affected constituents in Southport.”

The video of Mr Moore speaking in Parliament can be found on Facebook here