I welcome the announcement by the Prime Minister that there will be a public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal, which in the 1970s and 1980s saw thousands of people exposed to potentially fatal diseases after requiring blood transfusions.

In the 1970s and 80s, people requiring treatment for haemophilia were given blood which had been taken from people who suffered from Hepatitis C and HIV. In addition to 28,000 people being exposed to Hepatitis C, 4,800 people with bleeding disorders were actually infected with the disease, which causes liver damage and can be fatal in some cases.

Last year in a debate in the House of Commons, I raised the issue of people whose lives were previously not at risk now being at risk from conditions caused by contaminated blood.

To date, the government has increased the money spent on payments to victims to record levels, with over £390million being given in financial support. The Department of Health has also published over 5,500 documents from the period, and over 200 files are available through the National Archives. However after years of campaigning from MPs and affected families, the government will now hold an inquiry into the scandal.

I am pleased that an inquiry will finally be held into this scandal which has affected a number of people in Cheadle. People’s lives have been cut short and they have faced years of illness and distress as a result of being given contaminated blood. Families rightly want answers, and I hope this inquiry gives people the answers they deserve.