Politicians and officials being prosecuted over the infected blood scandal is “not inconceivable”, a Cabinet minister said this morning. 

Mel Stride said the question of whether criminal charges could be brought was not a matter for the Government but he believed “all of those things should and will be looked at”. 

The Work and Pension Secretary’s comments came after Rishi Sunak yesterday said the publication of the long-awaited report into the worst treatment scandal in NHS history represented a “day of shame for the British state”. 

Thousands of people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C by contaminated blood products used in the NHS between the 1970s and 1990s. A compensation plan will be announced at lunchtime today and it is expected to top £10 billion.

Asked if there should be prosecutions of officials and politicians, Mr Stride told Times Radio: “I think all of those things should and will be looked at. Of course, things such as criminal charges are matters for the police and they are matters for the Crown Prosecution Service so they are not matters for government, per se. 

“But I have no doubt that all of those things will be extremely carefully looked at because in that 2,700 page report there are many questions and many short failings that have been surfaced and they all need to be looked at very carefully. 

“And it is not inconceivable that what you have described may be something that transpires. But as I say, that is a matter on the criminal charges side of things for the police and the CPS.”

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