Scotland's health minister has been urged to agree compensation for patients who were infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products before next May's election.

The Scottish Executive has continually argued that no-one was to blame for the blunder and that compensating victims would be too costly.

Malcolm Chisholm defended that stance when he gave evidence to the parliament's health committee.

We want to see a solution on hepatitis C agreed before parliament dissolves next March Margaret Smith Committee chairwoman

However, MSPs said they were disappointed at the lack of action from the Scottish Executive - and promised to "doggedly" pursue the matter.

Committee convener Margaret Smith said progress should be made in implementing the recommendations of an expert group which was set up to look at the issue.

The group said that those who contracted the disease but are now clear of the virus should receive �10,000.

It also agreed that those who developed chronic hepatitis C should receive an additional �40,000.

Mr Chisholm told the committee that he could not afford to set aside the �89m called for by the expert group.

"You can imagine the kind of reaction that I would meet in the health service if I was to spend that amount of money on this issue," he said.

Financial assistance

"I think a bit of context may be given if you consider that the cancer strategy is �60m over three years."

Mr Chisholm did say that �30m could be made available over three years for sufferers.

Ms Smith said that the committee welcomed the minister's support for the principle of offering financial assistance to some of those affected.

However, the committee believes that all those have suffered harm should be entitled to "meaningful financial assistance".

Hepatitis C sufferer Andrew Gunn (right) talks to the minister

"This recommendation was reached unanimously by the committee, endorsed by the whole parliament and finally agreed upon unanimously by a group of independent experts appointed by the executive," said Ms Smith.

"Based on this overwhelming consensus, I want to reassure hepatitis C sufferers that the committee will doggedly pursue an equitable solution for all sufferers for as long as it takes."

Mr Chisholm told MSPs that he was "impatient" to resolve the matter.

Ms Smith added: "So is the committee. We want to see a solution on hepatitis C agreed before parliament dissolves next March.

"That is why we will be inviting the minister to appear before us again in January to tell us what the executive has done towards achieving this."

Blood products

Mr Chisholm was named as Scotland's politician of the year at a ceremony last month.

That accolade did not go down well with the patients who were given hepatitis C accidentally by the National Health Service in Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s.

More than 500 people were infected by blood products or transfusions before 1988.

He (the health minister) has wasted a lot of people's time and this seems like another delaying tactic Philip Dolan Haemophilia Society

However, the executive argued that an effective method of screening blood was not available before 1991.

Many of those infected by hepatitis C - a virus which attacks the liver - have been left with serious health problems.

Hepatitis C sufferer Andrew Gunn handed Mr Chisholm a "fudge of the year" award as he arrived at parliament on Wednesday.

He described the minister's offer as "a joke".

The Haemophilia Society's Philip Dolan said: "The �30m figure is an insult. Why did he bother to set up an expert committee?

"Did he expect them to come back and say we shouldn't get anything? He's wasted a lot of people's time and this seems like another delaying tactic."