ofthat of that long inquiry were findings of that long inquiry were released today. the victim says that it brings them some closure in they feel vindicated. you will hear from rishi sunak is expected to make a formal apology on behalf of the government. the international criminal court's chief prosecutor seeks an arrest warrants for israel's prime minister and the leaders of hamas — on war crimes charges over the gaza conflict. the move by the icc prosecutor has been condemned by both hamas and israel's leadership. and i can at the chelsea flower show are the king and queen will shortly be touring the gardens. a seven year public inquiry into the infected blood scandal,

widely considered to be the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the uk's national health service, has identified a catalogue of failures by the nhs and successive governments. more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv or hepatitis c after being given contaminated blood between the early 19705 and early 1990s. 3,000 people have already died, while others are still living with the ongoing effects of infection. 0ur correspondent rajini vaidyanathan has been following the story and joins us live from the methodist central hall in westminster, where the report findings were released. absolutely devastating, aren't they? it's been a day of mixed emotions and a day of reckoning as well. that report and the thousands of patients

and was released at 1230 —— pages and was released at 1230 —— pages and we heard from family members more than 3000 people died and tens of thousands of families are living with that every single day and there are thousands of people who are infected with either hepatitis c or hiv as a result of being given this infected blood and a transfusion or through a treatment of haemophilia and one of the words and kept coming up and one of the words and kept coming up was a sense of being vindicated because for decades, families and try to raise awareness about what they saw was systemic failure of the nhs and their warnings in the 19805 that this treatment protocol was not safe and yet he continued on and many families 5aid safe and yet he continued on and many families said they were ignored as their loved ones died we've been hearing that every three or four days now, someone dies as a result

of this blood scandal. legacy really does live on. just looking back at the event, use is sophie hutchinson. just looking back at the event, here is sophie hutchinson. some of the tens of thousands of people infected with hiv and hepatitis c in the 19705, �*805 and early �*905 by contaminated blood. today, the final report into the scandal described the scale of what happened as horrifying and said lives, dreams, friendships, families and finances were destroyed by it. well, i think the scale speaks for itself. if you have over 30,000 people who go into hospital and come out with infections which were life shattering, that in itself is huge, and the suffering for them and for others is huge. the inquiry has spent four years taking evidence from more than 5,000 witnesses and examined 100,000 documents. it's concluded this was a disaster not an accident,

that those in authority, doctors, blood services and governments did not put patient safety first and that patients were knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks of infection. andy evans has haemophilia, a bleeding disorder. he is one of 30,000 people infected by the treatment he received. by the time he was five years old he had hiv and hepatitis c, and at 13 he had developed full—blown aids. my mum took me out for a drive one day in the countryside when i was 13. she pulled up, i thought this was really weird, but then she turned to me with tears in her eyes and she said, "i've got something to tell you. do you know what hiv is?" andy has run a campaign group for victims for almost 20 years, and today he gave his reaction to the report. a5 amazing as this report is, i just can't help feeling

that there are so many that we have lost along the way that really ought to be here to see this as well. the report says children were betrayed by being used in medical trials without their knowledge or informed consent. it says patients were not informed of the risks of their treatment, including the risks posed by blood transfusions. this was nurse cathy osborne 25 years ago with her husband neil cox, a young doctor. neil had explained before they were married that he'd been infected with hepatitis c following a blood transfusion. he died just two years into their marriage. cathy came to the inquiry today. she said you can carry grief forever. people are still dying now, it was wrong. i want an apology, i think, for what happened, recognition of what happened. and not just an apology for apology's sake, an apology that takes into consideration all that we've been through, myself, neil's family, his friends, his mother, at 92, has missed out a whole 22 years without her son. and it's about time someone stood up and was accountable for that.

the report says the damage caused by the contaminated blood was compounded by the reaction of the nhs and the medical profession and by successive governments who used inaccurate, misleading and defensive lines, telling people they had received the best treatment. this is a day of unparalleled importance for these families. this report shines an unflinching light on the catalogue of failings that they have faced. an apology is expected later today from government, but this is notjust a look back at the past. the inquiry says that apology must be accompanied by action. last night, people infected and families held a vigil in westminster. today's report has urged the government to bring in full compensation for them without further delay.

a statement from ministers is expected in the coming days. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. and the coming minutes, were expecting to hear from and the coming minutes, were expecting to hearfrom prime minister rishi sunak in the house of commons not farfrom minister rishi sunak in the house of commons not far from where we are at the moment it is expected to make an apology on behalf of the government and of course, this is a scandal in the tragedy that transcends party politics because the number of the administrations of presided over the health service while this happened and you can see there, the house of commons, the chamber waiting for prime minister to get to his feet at some point soon and make that statement. with me is janinejones, her brother marc was a haemophiliac infected with hiv and hep c, after being sent to treloars school at age 11 — in 1985, when he was 23,

he found out he was hiv positive. tell us how you feel today first of all having seen the report in thousands of pages, pretty damning. very damning in the main thing i feel is validation and for years, everybody has been saying that what has come out in the report, black—and—white validation in yet, we were right. black-and-white validation in yet, we were right-— black-and-white validation in yet, we were riuht. ., . , . ., we were right. how many children and teenauers we were right. how many children and teenagers are — we were right. how many children and teenagers are also _ we were right. how many children and teenagers are also impacted _ we were right. how many children and teenagers are also impacted and - we were right. how many children and teenagers are also impacted and yet l teenagers are also impacted and yet had haemophilia that was given the plasma aid which was seen as this, factor eight which are seen drug and it made him sick as a to making a better and he was given this at his school and he is not the only student who was impacted by that and i met a number student who was impacted by that and i meta number of student who was impacted by that and i met a number of people today who

are living with hepatitis c who were also treated at the school. yes. are living with hepatitis c who were also treated at the school.- also treated at the school. yes, i think there's _ also treated at the school. yes, i think there's only _ also treated at the school. yes, i think there's only 30 _ also treated at the school. yes, i think there's only 30 of - also treated at the school. yes, i think there's only 30 of them - also treated at the school. yes, i i think there's only 30 of them left out of 125 boys that i think it was. and yeah, it's pretty catastrophic when you think about it. especially bearing in mind that they were children, little boys and their parents expected the school to treat them properly and they didn't. figs them properly and they didn't. as you process this over the years, you told me before we came on camera, it is 50 years. told me before we came on camera, it is 50 veere— told me before we came on camera, it is 50 years— is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and _ is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and this _ is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and this year _ is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and this year in _ is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and this year in july, - is 50 years. 1974 was when he was infected and this year in july, will. infected and this year injuly, will be 50 years to the day that he was infected. �* �* , ., ~ , ., infected. and it's taken this long for all of us _ infected. and it's taken this long for all of us to _ infected. and it's taken this long for all of us to come _ infected. and it's taken this long for all of us to come out? - infected. and it's taken this long for all of us to come out? yeah, | for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been _ for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been dead _ for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been dead for— for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been dead for 21 _ for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been dead for 21 years - for all of us to come out? yeah, he's been dead for 21 years now| for all of us to come out? yeah, - he's been dead for 21 years now and have carried on the fight for him and something he was passionate about and campaigned as much as he

could and obviously, it was only 41 when he died. figs could and obviously, it was only 41 when he died-— could and obviously, it was only 41 when he died. as they were waiting to hear from. _ when he died. as they were waiting to hear from, the _ when he died. as they were waiting to hear from, the prime _ when he died. as they were waiting to hear from, the prime minister. when he died. as they were waiting to hear from, the prime minister is| to hearfrom, the prime minister is expected to make an apology, aside from saying sorry, what else do you want them to say? it is from saying sorry, what else do you want them to say?— want them to say? it is not “ust in case of saying i want them to say? it is not “ust in case of saying sorry, it's h want them to say? it is not “ust in case of saying sorry, it's on]- want them to say? it is notjust in case of saying sorry, it's on a - want them to say? it is notjust in case of saying sorry, it's on a lot. case of saying sorry, it's on a lot of levels that we need heartfelt apologies and every level or what is happened. in the inquiry report, its been very damning of the it's been very damning of the government and past governments, you know, there's been cover—ups, there's been documents shredded when they should not have been in the reasons behind that. that they should not have been in the reasons behind that.— reasons behind that. that is shocking — reasons behind that. that is shocking revelations - reasons behind that. that is shocking revelations that i l reasons behind that. that is - shocking revelations that i picked out when i first saw the conclusions

of that report and civil servants destroyed documents exactly. it could not be found. in the families that have been trying to get to the truth, you hear that, it must make you angry. it's a kick in the teeth. the amount of people who have suffered over the years and some suit in whitehall shredding stuff, it's just wrong. {line suit in whitehall shredding stuff, it's just wrong-— it'sjust wrong. one thing that really struck _ it'sjust wrong. one thing that really struck me _ it'sjust wrong. one thing that really struck me today - it'sjust wrong. one thing that really struck me today was . it'sjust wrong. one thing that - really struck me today was there's been a lot of hurt and grief is come out again in the conversations that we have been having here. but i also thought that there are moments of real uplift and one was when i watched the speech in one of us in the hall, took theirfeet, that moment where you gave a standing ovation. , ., ._ ,

ovation. yes, we did. he always felt that he was — ovation. yes, we did. he always felt that he was going _ ovation. yes, we did. he always felt that he was going to deliver - ovation. yes, we did. he always felt that he was going to deliver for - ovation. yes, we did. he always felt that he was going to deliver for us l that he was going to deliver for us in the report up until this morning but we were not entirely sure but actually seeing it, and validated everything and as soon as he walked to the auditorium, everyone was on theirfeet for quite a to the auditorium, everyone was on their feet for quite a long time. it's been a really difficult day for you in so many people were here today and thank you very much and thank you for honouring mark's memory as well. it really has been an emotional day and to cover the story because we can talk about the politics and we are expecting to hear from can talk about the politics and we are expecting to hearfrom rishi sunak any time now we can talk about decision—making in talking about civil servants who can talk about hospitals about the heart of this, families, families like janine poss spots were living through the legacy of what happened to the decades

every single day. we will return to the house of commons soon. now to a major development from the international criminal court — with the prosecutor saying — his office is seeking arrest warrants for the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and the defence minister yoav gallant — on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in gaza. he alleges there is evidence to suggest �*5tarvation' has been used as a �*method of war�* against civilians. the prosecutor has also applied for arrest warrants for three leaders of hamas, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the october the seventh attacks in israel. he said, the decisions were the outcome of an independent and impartial investigation. iccjudges — will now decide whether to grant the warrants. let's speak to our diplomatic

correspondent paul adams who's injerusalem. give us a sense of the reaction there is been because certainly in there is been because certainly in the early minutes there was absolute fury, wasn't there? is the early minutes there was absolute fury, wasn't there?— fury, wasn't there? is the decision which not surprisingly _ fury, wasn't there? is the decision which not surprisingly is _ fury, wasn't there? is the decision which not surprisingly is at - fury, wasn't there? is the decision which not surprisingly is at a - which not surprisingly is at a pretty unifying effect in israel, notjust pretty unifying effect in israel, not just the pretty unifying effect in israel, notjust the prime minister and the government supporters condemning this but also many of the government and the prime minister is most vociferous critics. benjamin netanyahu is yet to respond formally but we were told that in the israeli media he is saying that the case against israel as a scandal which would not stop him or the government and the country as president said that it was beyond outrageous and showed in his words, the extent to which the internationaljudicial system was in danger of collapsing and they're also very strong roots in israel's foreign minister and here's what he had to say since. fir

here's what he had to say since. or the murders and the rapists of hamas are committing crimes against humanity— are committing crimes against humanity against our brothers and sisters— humanity against our brothers and sisters are — humanity against our brothers and sisters are attorney general mentions the prime minister and the ministry— mentions the prime minister and the ministry of— mentions the prime minister and the ministry of defence of the state of israel— ministry of defence of the state of israel alongside the abominable nazi monsters— israel alongside the abominable nazi monsters of hamas. a historical disgrace — monsters of hamas. a historical disgrace that will be remembered foreven _ disgrace that will be remembered forever. �* ., ., ., , disgrace that will be remembered forever. ., ., ., , , forever. among the various voices, there one i've _ forever. among the various voices, there one i've been _ forever. among the various voices, there one i've been find _ forever. among the various voices, there one i've been find so - forever. among the various voices, there one i've been find so far - there one i've been find so far among israeli voices endorsing with the criminal court is said is coming to one of the countries leading human rights organisations and they said the prosecutors requests signal and what it called the rapid decline into a moral abyss and it's safe to say that across this country, israelis of all political stripes are pretty united. they reject this kind of accusation very strongly.

activity in the house of commons, let us go full frame to this because the way to see and hear from rishi sunak, his responsejeremy hunt saying that they offer their fuller rip -- full —— full apologies in the next 24 hours we are going to hear from the government in terms of restitution in here's the uk prime minister. the final report — in here's the uk prime minister. tue: final report of in here's the uk prime minister. tta: final report of the in here's the uk prime minister. t“t2 final report of the infected in here's the uk prime minister. tt2 final report of the infected blood inquiry. this is the day of shame for the british state. today's report shows a decade—long moral failure from the national health service to the civil service. the ministers and successive governments

and at every level, the people and institutions with which we place our trust failed in the most harrowing and devastating way. they felt the victims and their families and they felt this country so brian finds a catalogue of systemic collective and individual failures, catalogue of systemic collective and individualfailures, each of catalogue of systemic collective and individual failures, each of its own serious and taken together, amounting to a calamity. and the result of this inquiry should shake our nation to its core. it should have been avoided and it was known, these treatments are contaminated and warnings were ignored repeatedly in time and again, people in positions of power and trust at the chance to stop the transmission of those infections. time and again they failed to do so. so brian finds an attitude of denial towards the risk treatment worth to our eternal

shame in a way that is hard to even comprehend. they allowed victims to become objects for research. many include children and the college were a part of the trials and conducted without they are their parents knowledge or consent and those with haemophilia or bleeding disorders are infected with hiv, hepatitis c and hepatitis b through nhs treatment. through blood clotting product such as factor eight and misdiagnosed in requiring treatment. many were infected throughout the blood transfusions and others were infected to their partners and loved ones. after diagnosis of been deliberately withheld for months or even years meaning these should have easily been prevented. ifind it almost impossible to comprehend how it

must�*ve felt to be told you had been infected through no fault of your own with hiv or hepatitis b or hepatitis c. but he faced the grief of losing a child or to be a young child and lose your mother or father. many of those infected with to develop horrific conditions, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, or aids. including cirrhosis, liver cancer, oraids. debilitating including cirrhosis, liver cancer, or aids. debilitating treatments and illnesses the nhs had given them. many were treated disdainfully by health care professionals who made appalling assumptions about the origin of their infections. worse still, they were made to think that they were imagining it. made to feel stupid. they felt abandoned by the nhs that infected them. those who acquired hiv endured social

rejection, vilification and abuse at a time or society understood so little about the emerging epidemic of aids and with illness, came the indignity of financial hardship. for carers and those widowed and other bereaved family members. and throughout it all, victims and their loved ones have had to fight for justice, fight to be heard, to be believed, fight to uncover the full truth. some at the medical records either withheld or destroyed the inquiry finds that some government papers are destroyed in a deliberate attempt to make the truth more difficult to reveal. so brian explicitly asked the question, was there a cover up? and then directly quotes his answer to the house. there has been. he continues not in the sense of a handful of people

plotting or orchestrating conspiracy to mislead but in a way that was more subtle and more pervasive and more subtle and more pervasive and more chilling than duplications to save face and save expenses and there's been a hiding of much of the truth. mrspeaker, more than there's been a hiding of much of the truth. mr speaker, more than 3000 people died without that truth. they died without an apology they'd died without knowing how and why this was allowed to happen. and they died without seeing anyone how to account. speaking directly to the victims and their families, some of whom are with us in the gallery. i want to make a wholehearted and unequivocal apology for this terrible injustice. first to apologise for the failure and blood policy and the devastating and so often fatal impact it's had on so

many lives including the impact of treatments that were known or proved to be contaminated. the failure to respond to the risk of important concentrate, the failure to prioritise health sufficiency and blood, the failure to introduce screening services sooner and the mismanagement of the response to the emergence of aids and hepatitis viruses among infected blood victims. second, to apologise for the repeated failure of the state and our medical professionals to recognise the harm caused. this includes the failure of previous payment schemes and the inadequate levels of funding made available in the failure to recognise hepatitis b victims. and third, to apologise for the institutional refusal to face up to these feelings and worse, to deny and even attempt to cover them up. the dismissing of reports and campaigners details representations, the loss and destruction of key

documents including ministerial advice and medical records and the appalling length of time it took to secure the public inquiry which was delivering the full truth today. mr speaker, layer upon layer of hurt endured across decades, this is an apology from the state to every single person impacted by this scandal. it did not have to be this way, it should never have been this way. and on behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 19705, i am truly sorry. mr speaker, todayis 19705, i am truly sorry. mr speaker, today is a for the victims and their families to hear the full truth acknowledged by all and in the full presence of that truth, to remember the many, many lost loved ones. but justice also demands action and

accountability and so, i make two solemn promises. we'll pay comforts of compensations to those infected and those affected by the scandal and those affected by the scandal and accepting the principles recommended by the inquiry which built on the work of others. whatever it costs to deliver the scheme, we will pay my right arm or friend, the minister will set out the details tomorrow. second, it is not enough to say sorry, but a long—overdue compensation in an attempt to move on. there can be no moving on from a report that is so devastating in its criticisms and in some areas, medical practices have long since evolved and no one is questioning that every day, our nhs provides amazing and life—saving care to the british people. but sir

brian and his team have made wide—ranging recommendations and we will study them in detail before returning to this house with a full response in fundamentally rebalance the system so he finally addressed this pattern so familiar from other inquiries where innocent victims have to fight for decades just to be believed. mrspeaker, have to fight for decades just to be believed. mr speaker, the whole house will think sir brian and his team, especially for keeping the infected blood community at the heart of their work. we would not be here today without those who tirelessly fought for justice for so many years journalists and parliamentarians of both thousands, especially the right honourable member for kingston upon especially the right honourable memberfor kingston upon hall north. but most of all, the victims and theirfamilies. many of but most of all, the victims and their families. many of them have dedicated their lives leaving

charities and campaign groups, pouring their own money into decades of writing help lines, archiving, researching and pursuing legal cases often in the face of appalling prejudice. it is impossible to capture the full of pain and injustice they have faced, that sorrow has been unimaginable. they much loved ones die, cared for them as they suffered excruciating treatments and provided their palliative care. many families are broken up by the strain, hundreds of thousands of lives have been knocked off course, trains and potential unfulfilled. but today, their voices have finally been heard. the full truth stands for all to see. i will work together across government, health services and civil society to ensure that nothing like this can

ever happen in our country again. i commend this statement to the house. thank you, mr speaker, this response can only begin in one place. this is an injustice that has spanned across governments on an unprecedented scale and collectively, we failed to protect some of the most vulnerable in our country. find protect some of the most vulnerable in our country-— in our country. and so, as well is -a in: in our country. and so, as well is paying tribute — in our country. and so, as well is paying tribute to _ in our country. and so, as well is paying tribute to the _ in our country. and so, as well is paying tribute to the courage - in our country. and so, as well is| paying tribute to the courage and determination of the victims, the infected — determination of the victims, the infected in — determination of the victims, the infected in the affected some of whom are here in the gallery today, i want to acknowledge to every single person who is suffering that in addition to all of the other failings, politics itself failed you. that failure applies to all

parties, including my own. there is only one word, sorry. and by that apology, i acknowledge that the suffering was caused by wrongdoing, delay and systemic failure across the board, compounded by institutional defensiveness. in a sir brian makes clear in his report, any apology today must be accompanied by action. and so, we welcome the prime ministers confirmation that compensation will be paid and they should be under no doubt whatsoever that we will work with him to get that done swiftly. because make no mistake, the victims

of this scandal have suffered unspeakably and thousands of people have died and they continue to die every week. lives completely shattered in evidence willfully destroyed and victims marginalised, people watching their loved ones die. children used as objects of research. 0n die. children used as objects of research. on and on it goes. the pain barely conceivable. i want to make clear, we commit that we will shine a harsh light on the lessons that must be learned to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. because, mr speaker, when you pass to the doors of the hospital it is a moment of profound vulnerability. you entrust your life

into the hands of perfect strangers. we go to hospital for care. into the hands of perfect strangers. we go to hospitalfor care. and into the hands of perfect strangers. we go to hospital for care. and that is what many of the people affected find so hard to accept, the betrayal of that trust by people and institutions that were meant to protect them. people like mark stewart, my constituent who is given factor viii in the 19805 as part of a clinical trial. a5 factor viii in the 19805 as part of a clinical trial. as was his father, as was his brother. all three subsequently contracted hepatitis c. but only mark remains with us today. but only mark remains with us today. but over the decades so many like him search for truth and justice, the british state ignored them. the truth, as o'brien says today it was

hidden from them for decades.