Member

I turn now to some specific examples relating to the text of the regret amendment. There are two issues where claimants have suddenly discovered that they are not being treated despite 30 years of IB scheme development and six years of Sir Brian’s inquiry and report. The first is the tariff discrimination between those infected with HIV and hepatitis. It is correct that the awful consequences of infection with HIV are fully recognised. However, those affected by hepatitis are being treated completely differently. Worse, the Government have adopted retrogressive hepatitis impact assessment measures that concentrate only on the state of the liver. The expert group has therefore ignored considerable detriments caused by extra hepatic harms, including harsh antiviral treatment regimes. The affected individuals excluded from the first regulations have now discovered that they are being treated as what can be described only as second-class claimants, with years before most of them are paid.