His ministry announced on Friday that it would provide additional payments to those affected by the scandal, following a series of recommendations from Robert Francis, the interim chairman of the British Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

The approved recommendations include a £10,000 payment to those infected as a result of “unethical research” – and a £15,000 payment to everyone involved in the trials at Lord Mayor Treloar College, a boarding school that has been accused of treating haemophilia patients like “guinea pigs”.

In addition, it was announced that the approximately 4,000 people already receiving compensation through a number of ad hoc programs will continue to receive these payments as well as the new compensation payments.

This was not the intention of the previous government and will therefore create additional cost pressure.

Family members and friends of those infected are also entitled to compensation. However, this process is likely to prove more lengthy.

“Do what is necessary”

The programme is now likely to place an additional burden on the public finances, at a time when Chancellor Rachel Reeves – who has sought to portray the Conservatives as irresponsible in public spending – is considering spending cuts and tax increases in her budget for later this year.