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Dr Duncan Thomas, when advising on the application for a licence in respect of Hemofil noted his concern that the larger pools used in making the American product carried with them an increased risk of hepatitis.

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Dr Maycock accepted that all infected batches would not be excluded since the test would not pick up all levels of Hepatitis B virus. He acknowledged too that some hepatitis was caused by viruses not detected by the test.

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Dr David Owen accepted in his evidence to the Inquiry that when he was Minister of State for Health he knew the theoretical risk of hepatitis was greatest for those who had been little treated, had mild haemophilia, or were children; by the mid 1970s no-one had suggested, and no-one was suggesting, that an increase in pool size did not mean an increase in risk.

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It was known to those who prescribed the products that an increase in pool sizes led to an increase in risk of infection.

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Dr James Smith wrote a memo to Dr Richard Lane showing that it was in January 1982, at least, that 7,500 donations per bottle started to be in use.

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Dr Richard Lane responded to Dr James Smith's memo showing that it was in January 1982, at least, that 7,500 donations per bottle started to be in use.

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Dr Snape wrote a memo to Peter Prince and Dr Smith recording a figure of 25,000 donations in June 1986 (although this was after heat treatment had been introduced, and hence it was at a time when viral inactivation might reasonably have been thought to have been achieved, even though the definitive studies on hepatitis transmission had not yet shown conclusively that 8Y was free of transmitting such a virus).

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Dr Lane wrote a memo to Dr Snape noting that the number of donations per batch rose to 6,000 donations from 1982 to 1985.

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A List of Documents of the Central Blood Laboratories Authority was published recording batch histories which show an increase in pool sizes from 1978 (when batch histories begin) to 1986. They rose from 2,250 donations in a batch to 6,000.

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Regional transfusion directors met and commentary from this meeting provided evidence that the amount of plasma recovered in different regional centres varied.

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"Therapeutic Materials used in Treatment of Coagulation Defects" was published, adding to the evidence base that 1 litre equalled approximately 5.55 donations, by assuming 180ml per donation.

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"Trends in blood transfusion practice in England and Wales Health" was published, adding to the evidence base that 1 litre equalled approximately 5.55 donations, by assuming 180ml per donation.

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Dr Terrance Snape gave evidence to the Inquiry stating that "regulatory approval was always sought when there were logistical reasons to increase pool size".

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According to "Value of SAG M systems in the provision of plasma products", Dr Lane used a conversion figure of 190ml.

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Dr Garrott Allen wrote "Post-transfusion hepatitis, a serious clinical problem" in California Medicine, estimating that the additional risk created by paid donations mixed in commercial pools in the US suggested that products made from those pools were ten times more likely to transmit hepatitis than if unremunerated voluntary donations had been used, simply by reason of the source of the plasma used.

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The parameters of the Hepatitis C financial assistance fund were set out in a submission to the Secretary of State. The position on natural clearers was "No payments to those who have cleared the virus spontaneously".

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In a memo to the Secretary of State regarding the Hepatitis C ex gratia scheme, Richard Gutowski explained the Haemophilia Society had stated "they could not accept" the scheme proposed.

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A template letter for queries about why homosexual men could not donate blood explained: "Current screening tests for blood still fail to pick up people with very early infection. This is called the window period when people with HIV have not yet developed markers of HIV infection. We are also concerned about viral hepatitis (hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus)."

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Richard Gutowski sent a submission to John Reid and others on the issues around setting up a compensation scheme for Hepatitis C sufferers in England.

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"The Scotsman" reported Lord Ross was "on a collision course with Westminster which has ruled out making payments south of the Border. Now the Department of Health is expected to obstruct payments in Scotland, arguing that the Executive does not have the power to make such decisions."

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