Three Sussex Conservative MPs rebelled against the government to speed up efforts to compensate victims of the infected blood scandal.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suffered his first defeat in the House of Commons after 22 of his MPs supported a Labour-led amendment requiring ministers to establish a body to administer the full compensation scheme within three months of the Victims and Prisoners Bill becoming law.

Among the 22 were Crawley MP Henry Smith, East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton and Worthing West MP and Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley.

The proposal, put forward by Labour's Dame Diana Johnson, was approved by 246 to 242, prompting cheers in the Commons chamber.

Sir Peter told The Argus he did not class his vote as a rebellion and instead as "a positive act".

He said: "Dame Diana Johnson, with my persistent active support, has led the Commons fight for justice.

"The infected blood inquiry had completed its findings on compensation. In special reports, ministers were asked to get on with the arrangements. I am glad the majority voting have agreed with me. 

"For over 30 years I have worked for the day when the financial burdens on the affected and the afflicted are recognised. Soon we will have the full analysis of what went wrong and why."

Up to 30,000 people were given contaminated blood products throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with more than 3,000 people dying after contracting HIV or Hepatitis C after receiving a blood transfusion or from treatment with the blood.

Under an initial compensation scheme, only victims themselves or bereaved partners can receive an interim payment of around £100,000.

However, the government had said it would not act until the final report from the independent Infected Blood Inquiry has been published.

The inquiry into the scandal was due to publish its final report this autumn but the document will now be published in March next year due to the “sheer volume and scale of the material”.

MPs had urged swifter action given it is estimated someone affected by infected blood dies “every four days”.

How your MP voted on infected blood scandal amendment

  • Caroline Ansell, Eastbourne (Conservative) - no vote recorded
  • Sir Peter Bottomley, Worthing West (Conservative) - in favour
  • Maria Caulfield, Lewes (Conservative) - against
  • Mims Davies, Mid Sussex (Conservative) - against
  • Nusrat Ghani, Wealden (Conservative) - against
  • Nick Gibb, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Conservative) - against
  • Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs (Conservative) - against
  • Sally-Ann Hart, Hastings and Rye (Conservative) - no vote recorded
  • Gillian Keegan, Chichester (Conservative) - against
  • Peter Kyle, Hove (Labour) - in favour
  • Tim Loughton, East Worthing and Shoreham (Conservative) - in favour
  • Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion (Green) - in favour
  • Huw Merriman, Bexhill and Battle (Conservative) - against
  • Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Brighton Kemptown (Labour) - in favour
  • Henry Smith, Crawley (Conservative) - in favour
  • Jeremy Quin, Horsham (Conservative) - against

Dame Diana Johnson, who tabled the proposal, said on social media: “I am very pleased that my amendment has been passed, despite government opposition.

“This will now put in law that a body will be established to pay compensation to those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal within three months of the Act passing.

“This is an important step forward in what has been an extraordinarily long fight for justice.”

The bill will now move to the House of Lords, where the government is expected to amend the bill to establish the necessary structure and timescales for a delivery body to provide compensation.

Henry Smith and Tim Loughton were approached for comment.