Government suffers Commons defeat on compensation for infected blood victims

The Government has suffered a Commons defeat after MPs voted 246 to 242, majority four, in favour of establishing a new body to help compensate infected blood victims.

A total of 23 Conservative MPs rebelled to support a Labour-led amendment requiring ministers to establish a body to administer the full compensation scheme within three months of the Victims and Prisoners Bill becoming law.

The proposal, tabled by Labour former minister Dame Diana Johnson, was approved by 246 votes to 242, majority four, prompting cheers in the Commons chamber.

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The division list showed the Tory rebels included former ministers Sir Robert Buckland, Damian Green, Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Chloe Smith. The defeat came despite a last-ditch attempt by the Government to offer concessions in a bid to placate MPs.

Justice minister Edward Argar had said the Government would amend the Bill in the Lords to establish the necessary structure and timescales for a delivery body to provide compensation - but he outlined that the Government would still not act until the final report from the independent Infected Blood Inquiry has been published.

The inquiry into the scandal was due to publish its final report this autumn but the document will now be published in March 2024 due to the “sheer volume and scale of the material”.

Under an initial compensation scheme, only victims themselves or bereaved partners can receive an interim payment of around £100,000. MPs have urged swifter action given it is estimated someone affected by infected blood dies “every