Ms Burt said: “This is a significant development.

“However, the majority of the bereaved, including parents and the children of those who died, will receive nothing.”

The contamination of blood products in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in an estimated 24,00 deaths of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

The catastrophe was labelled the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, with new cases of HIV and hepatitis being diagnosed decades later.

The Government said it intends to make payments to those who have been infected and bereaved partners in England by the end of October. The same payments will be made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “While nothing can make up for the pain and suffering endured by those affected by this tragic injustice, we are taking action to do right by victims and those who have tragically lost their partners by making sure they receive these interim payments as quickly as possible.”