---

Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 Statutory Sum Order 2007

I start by thanking both noble Lords for their strong and warm support for the draft order. I shall try to deal with the questions raised. Both the noble Lords, Lord Taylor and Lord Kirkwood, asked about annual upratings. As I said, unlike social security benefits, there is no statutory obligation to increase the payment in line with inflation. Primary legislation would be required to allow an annual uprating. That is no reason to say that it could not be introduced, but the reality is that under both this Government and the previous Government—