Health Committee, external convener Duncan McNeil introduces Petra Wright from the Hepatitis C Trust; Philip Dolan from the Scottish Infected Blood Forum and Bill Wright from Haemophilia Scotland.

Haemophilia Scotland, external says, in its submission to the Health Committee, the Penrose Inquiry and Report failed to fulfil the reasonable expectation of the affected community. 

However, it says they are grateful to the Scottish government not only for establishing the Inquiry but for recognising the pain and caused by the disaster. 

Their apology accepted a moral responsibility to those affected. 

Image source, Haemophilia Scotland

Haemophilia Scotland have agreed with the Scottish government that improving the financial support arrangements is the top priority and accept that progress on some of the other areas detailed in this submission have been reasonably deferred until after new arrangements are in place. 

In their submission they go on to stress the need for improved financial support is now extremely urgent. 

Many of those affected are seriously ill and facing pressing financial hardship.  

Philip Dolan from the Scottish Infected Blood Forum, external, begins his submission explaining he has haemophilia and Hepatitis C.

Mr Dolan says there were six public meetings held during the Review Group deliberations and he attended four of these meetings which were held in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. 

Many of the people who attended the Glasgow meetinng expressed their disgust at failure of Lord Penrose to acknowledge the impact that HCV had had on them and their families.

At all the meeting most people wanted compensation, many wanted a lump sum, suggestion £250,000.  

Image source, SIBF

1. The Hepatitis C Trust, external fully endorses each proposal contained within the Financial Review Group’s recent submission to the Scottish government, and strongly encourage the Scottish government to implement these proposals as quickly as possible.
2. The Hepatitis C Trust strongly encourages the Scottish government, along with partners, to fully implement the sole recommendation of the Penrose Inquiry by ensuring that any individual who may have received a blood transfusion prior to September 1991 is offered a hepatitis C test. 
3. The Hepatitis C Trust believes that access to hepatitis C treatments should be made as widely accessible as possible

Image source, Hepatitis C Trust

The Health Committee, external will shortly take evidence on progress made on the recommendations of the Penrose Inquiry Report into the blood contamination scandal. 

Petra Wright from the Hepatitis C Trust; Philip Dolan from the Scottish Infected Blood Forum and Bill Wright from Haemophilia Scotland will give evidence first. 

The committee will then take evidence from Health Secretary Shona Robison, who will be joined by Gareth Brown from the Scottish government and Professor David Goldberg from Health Protection Scotland.

We’ve opted for the Health and Sport Committee as it takes a progress update on the controversial Penrose Inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal. 

The health secretary will be preceded by campaigners, including victims of the scandal. 

The report was received with angry shouts of “whitewash” on its release so passions can be expected to run high.

Topical questions will feature the issues of the 50% increase in households requesting financial assistance to pay fuel and heating bills and the productivity of the Laggan and Tormore fields west of Shetland.

Image source, bbc

The Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc.) (Scotland) Bill will be debated for the first time. 

The legislation calls for a soft opt out organ donation system, but has been rejected by the Health Committee, which backs the aim, but not the detail, of the bill.

The Public Audit Committee will then lead a debate on the debacles at North Glasgow College in 2012-13 and Coatbridge College in 2013-14 and on an overview of Scotland’s Colleges in 2015.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott will then lead a member’s debate on broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural and island communities.

Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live's coverage of the Scottish Parliament on 9 February 2016.

Image source, Scottish Parliament/Andrew Cowan