Question
Further to the question that the hon. Member for Eltham and Chislehurst (Clive Efford) has asked, some people and their families face delays in getting their money. For some families in Northern Ireland, the years catch up with them, their health catches up with them and they pass away, so I want to ensure that in the lifetime they have in this world—the short time that some of them have left—the moneys they are due actually get there. What has been done to ensure that those who are still waiting for compensation get it as a matter of urgency?
Answer
The IBCA is following the inquiry’s recommendations about priority payments. It is prioritising claims from individuals who are sadly nearing the end of their lives, followed by those in older age groups. In the past two years, over £2.3 billion in compensation has been paid out to people who are either infected or affected, and I say to the hon. Gentleman—who has also been a long-term campaigner on this issue—that the Treasury is playing its part. We are making sure that those payments can be made through the annually managed expenditure, so there is no constraint on the payments that can be made under Treasury rules.
Verdict: GREEN (88/100)
The reply directly answers the single part of the question about what is being done to speed up payment to people still waiting. It names concrete steps: following the inquiry's priority-payment recommendations, prioritising claims from people nearing the end of their lives and then older age groups, and routing payments through annually managed expenditure so Treasury rules do not constrain them. A member of the public would have specific, committed information about how urgent cases will be handled, though the reply does not set out timescales.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department doing to ensure that those still waiting for compensation receive it as a matter of urgency? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete mechanisms for speeding up payment to those still waiting: IBCA is following the inquiry's priority-payment recommendations, claims from those nearing the end of their lives are prioritised and then older age groups, and payments are routed through AME so Treasury rules impose no constraint. Together these directly answer what the department is doing to ensure urgent payment. |