To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2003,Official Report, column 171W, on Hepatitis C, what broader issues have been raised; and which Government Departments are involved in the discussions. [106485]

The Scottish Executive's proposal to compensate Hepatitis C sufferers who contracted the virus through contaminated blood has raised the issue of the legal competence of the Scottish Executive, which has wider implications for the UK Government as a whole.It would be inappropriate for me to comment further until discussions about the proposal have reached a conclusion.