Ken Clarke says he was not responsible for blood products during scandal

Tory who was a health minister in early days of infection controversy says it hardly came across my desk'

Ken Clarke said he was not responsible for blood products during the early days of the infected blood scandal despite being a health minister at the time, an inquiry has heard.

Lord Clarke, who was a Conservative health minister from 1982 to 1985, said the emerging controversy surrounding the blood products was something that hardly ever came across my desk" as he was dealing with policies such as closing old Victorian asylums" or getting rid of old geriatric hospitals".