Tainted Blood Campaign

EDM number 496 in 2006-07, proposed by Jenny Willott on 13/12/2006.

That this House notes that 4,800 British haemophiliacs and many others were infected with hepatitis C through their NHS treatment, with 1,200 of those also infected with HIV; further notes that over 800 people have already died from AIDS with hundreds more having died from hepatitis C; further notes the destruction in the late 1980s and early 1990s of many documents relating to this issue that were being held by the Department of Health and that could have aided the Self-Sufficiency in Blood Products report into this affair in early 2006; is pleased that many of these documents have been discovered since by Blackett, Heart and Pratt Solicitors and have now been returned to the Department of Health for independent legal examination; further notes that a number of boxes of relevant documents have also been discovered since by the Department of Health; is concerned that these have not yet been assigned for independent legal examination; supports the Tainted Blood Campaign; believes that with the discovery of these documents there is now an ideal opportunity to get to the bottom of this issue by launching a full, independent public inquiry into contaminated blood products and to provide an official explanation to those who have fallen victim directly or indirectly to HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products; and therefore urges the Government to respond positively to this campaign so that, after 20 years, justice can be done finally.

This motion has been signed by a total of 171 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.