Sunak continues, saying "this is not just about historic wrongs".

He adds that reading the testimonies of those infected and affected by the scandal was "moving for me".

I'm pleased to be able to be here, to contribute to that important work, he tells the inquiry.

Turning to Mordaunt's letter, he says he did not see it personally at the time, and that it was instead dealt with by officials at the Treasury.

We start by looking at two letters, addressed to Rishi Sunak from then paymaster general Penny Mordaunt in 2020. (We talked about them in an earlier post, too.)

She raises three matters: funds to the inquiry, the progress of the inquiry and financial support for victims.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," she wrote, and Sunak is told.

Asked if he was aware that victims were still continuing to die and to suffer as a result of the infected blood scandal, Sunak calls the infected blood scandal a "historical injustice" that stretched "far beyond those directly impacted".

Here we go. Rishi Sunak has just been sworn in and is about to start giving evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry.

You can follow our live updates right here, or follow along by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

Jack Fenwick
Political reporter

Rishi Sunak is likely to talk a lot about how the Covid pandemic meant other aspects of government didn’t act as quickly as they usually would.

He’ll be quizzed about decisions made during his time as both prime minister and chancellor, and whether he could have ensured the compensation process happened more quickly.

We may also hear a lot about the paymaster general. That’s a minister in the cabinet office, who has overall responsibility for this inquiry.

As we've reported, Penny Mordaunt, who used to do the job, and Jeremy Quin, who does it now, have already given evidence this week.

But because of the wide-ranging nature of the scandal and the large amounts of compensation likely to paid, decisions surrounding the inquiry have to be taken by several departments, including the Treasury.

Mordaunt and Quin both accepted that campaigners and victims are frustrated at ongoing delays but stressed that they’ve seen no evidence of the government dragging its feet on the issue.

Jim Reed
Health reporter, at the Infected Blood Inquiry

The conference room at a large hotel in central London is packed with around 300 survivors and relatives here to see Rishi Sunak give evidence.

Demand was so high for spaces that an overflow room has been set up - with space for another 150 to sit and watch on a big screen.

The topic of compensation is an incredibly sensitive one for many of the people here, some who have been campaigning for decades.

Partly this is a straight financial issue with survivors frustrated that other countries, such as the Republic of Ireland, have been much faster to agree final settlements to cover all care and living costs.

But for most the awarding of compensation would also represent an acceptance on the part of the government that the wrong done many years ago has finally been acknowledged.

A group of people campaigning for justice for those affected by the contaminated blood scandal gathered in central London earlier, near to where the inquiry is being held.

“The prime minister must commit to paying full compensation and recognise the suffering and loss this scandal continues to cause,” they wrote, via the Haemophilia Society's official Twitter account.

It comes after relatives of victims earlier this week handed a letter to Downing Street, pleading with Rishi Sunak to act "now" to set up a body to give full compensation.

We're still waiting for the PM to arrive at the inquiry. When he's in place, we'll let you know.

Image source, PA Media

Hugh Pym
Health editor

At the heart of this week’s inquiry hearings, indeed one of the central concerns of victims of the scandal and their families, is the issue of compensation.

Many receive financial support, though some argue it is not enough to cover costs of care.

But despite years of campaigning, they have never had full compensation for loss of earnings and life chances caused by their treatment by the NHS.

Interim payments of £100,000 were paid out to some, but not all, of those infected and affected last autumn - but the final payouts are expected to be considerably higher.

The inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff called in April for a compensation framework to be set up so the government could reaction swiftly after the final inquiry report in the autumn.

That has not yet happened, which is why ministers have been called to give evidence this week.

In June this year, the inquiry announced it would be holding an additional week of hearings, beginning on 24 July.

Since Monday, the inquiry has been taking evidence regarding the government’s response to the use of infected blood and blood products - and the question of compensation.

Surviving victims and bereaved partners received interim compensation payments of about £100,000 in October. The money is intended to cover care costs, as well as any financial and societal harm suffered.

But the inquiry chair said the scheme should be widened so more people - including the children and parents of victims - could be compensated.

He also recommended the government establish an arms-length compensation body before the final report is published in the autumn.

Commons Leader and former paymaster general Penny Mordaunt gave evidence on Monday. Today, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will give evidence, while the Chancellor and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt is due to appear on Friday.

Giving evidence on Monday, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt told the inquiry that she does not think the government is dragging its feet over paying full compensation to those affected by the blood scandal.

She also described how she had tried and failed in 2020 to secure a meeting with then-chancellor Rishi Sunak about the issue, with government bandwidth "very stretched" by the pandemic, she said.

Image source, PA Media

The evidence session heard how Mordaunt wrote to Sunak on 13 July 2020, saying: "I believe it to be inevitable that the government will need to provide substantial compensation. The costs are likely to be high."

She told the inquiry she did not receive a written response or a formal acknowledgement to say it had been received, but there were "discussions between officials".

She then wrote again in September 2020, saying: "I cannot stress enough the urgency of taking long overdue action on financial support and compensation."

In his written evidence to the inquiry, Sunak said it was "unclear" whether he saw either of Mordaunt's letters.

Hugh Pym
Health editor

A succession of ministers have been called for the inquiry - including Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons, and Jeremy Quin, paymaster general, this week.

They are being closely questioned on why the mechanics of a full compensation have not yet been set up, ready for the inquiry’s final report in the autumn.

But the buck stops with the prime minister, who is also first lord of the Treasury, appearing for the first time at the inquiry. He has the power to crank the government machine into action and authorise the cheques which will need to be signed.

Mordaunt has already told the inquiry the costs of compensation of those infected and affected because of the scandal are likely to be high.

Rishi Sunak will have to take all that on board and reassure victims and their families the government is not dragging its feet.

They will be hanging on his every word.

The infected blood scandal spans decades - and is known as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

Thousands of people were infected with HIV and hepatitis between 1970 and 1991 after being given contaminated blood products. About 380 children with haemophilia and other blood disorders are now thought to have contracted HIV - accounting for around one in three of those infected.

At least 3,650 patients, many of whom were receiving treatment for the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia, were infected with HIV, hepatitis C or both. A second group was exposed to hepatitis C though a transfusion of donated blood in surgery or childbirth.

It is thought around 3,000 died as a result.

Image source, PA Media

The public inquiry into the infected blood scandal was announced in 2017 and began taking evidence in 2019 - it's expected to publish its final report later this year.

So we're nearing its end, but before then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt - among other ministers - will appear this week to give evidence.

Sam Hancock
Live reporter

Hello, you join us with less than an hour to go until the prime minister is due to give evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry.

This probe has been going for some time - since 2017 - and you may or may not remember what it’s about.

It was set up to investigate the infection of thousands of NHS patients with HIV and hepatitis using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

The inquiry’s reconvened this week to hear the government’s response to two key issues:

• why infected blood and blood products were ever used by the NHS
• and why victims and their families have not yet been fully compensated

Rishi Sunak’s evidence session is scheduled to kick off around 14:00 BST - it’ll by myself, Andrew Humphrey, Emily Atkinson and Adam Durbin taking you through it. You'll also be able to tune in live by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.