Correspondence relating to provision for carers of infected blood victims: FOI release

Information requested

“Minutes and any correspondence or internal emails relating to any discussion on the care needs and or provision for carers of infected blood victims within the Scottish Government since 2017 including discussion around bereavement and funeral grants”. You subsequently confirmed that you did not wish us to include correspondence to or from yourself in the response so this correspondence has been treated as out of scope of the request.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in Annex B – this provides extracts from briefings and notes of meetings where these relate to your request. However, it is worth noting that provision for carers and other matters may have been raised by Ministers or officials in discussions, but as notes of meetings often only provide a brief summary of what was discussed, this may not always be included in the note or minute of a meeting.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections 30(c) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs), 36(1) (legal advice) and 38(1)(b) (personal data) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why the exemptions apply are explained in Annex A. Please note that you will see some information about yourself and your family has been redacted as personal data from the extracts provided; this is because information released under FOISA is normally also published on the Scottish Government’s website.

In addition, under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Some of the information you have requested is available via the following links:

Infected Blood Inquiry - Written Statement of Maree Todd

Infected Blood Inquiry - Closing submissions to the Infected Blood Inquiry by the Scottish  Government

Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme - Application Forms and Guidance

Clinical Review of the Impacts of Hepatitis C: Short Life Working Group Report for the Scottish  Government

Parliamentary Question S5W-28203

Parliamentary Question S5W-23805

Parliamentary Question S5W-23806

UK Government updates on the Infected Blood Compensation Framework

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400431039 - Information Released - Annex A and B

File type

22 page PDF

File size

271.7 kB