Grant Shapps has admitted the government has been “too slow” to deliver justice for the thousands affected by the contaminated blood scandal.
The defence secretary’s comments came as ministers prepare to unveil a £10 billion compensation package for the victims and their families.
Tens of thousands of NHS patients were left infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being treated with contaminated blood products imported from the United States, with at least 2,900 of them dying as a result.
The infected blood inquiry, set up by Theresa May when she was still prime minister in 2017, will publish its findings tomorrow.
On Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning, Shapps said successive governments had dragged their heels over the issue.
Phillips said: “I don’t want to turn this into a party political thing, but the thing that [victims] would say they are most angry about is that it’s taken so long to get the compensation scheme up and running. That has taken place under your administration’s watch.”
Shapps insisted it had “taken place under every shade of government”, but Phillips hit back: “The decision about the compensation scheme is only four/five years ago.
“What I’m really trying to say is it’s taken too long, even in recent times when everybody knew what had gone on.”
Shapps said: “Yes I think this has been too slow, of course I do. You can’t speak to [affected] families around the country and not think this has been a massive injustice which needs to be put right.”
Rishi Sunak was greeted with laughter and heckles from victims and their families when he appeared at the inquiry last July.
He said it was an “appalling scandal” and ministers were working “at pace” to ensure victims received the right compensation.