• The Minutes and Resolutions of the previous meeting were approved.

• It was reported that there were 175 victims as at 25 July 2011, according to the figures on the National CJD Surveillance Unit website. However, Field Fisher Waterhouse was aware of 181 victims. Main Applications had been received in relation to 178 claims.  By the end of this meeting, the Trustees had considered 175 of the claims submitted to date.  The Trustees had considered a total of 394 claims for £5,000 Psychiatric Injury, 205 claims for Particular Emotional Hardship and 42 claims for Particular Financial Hardship.

• The meeting included consideration of four claims for Psychiatric Injury, two for Particular Financial Hardship, a Victim’s Loss of Earnings claim and a Claim for Carer’s Loss of Earnings.

• £39.76m had been paid in compensation by the date of the meeting. £12.71m had been paid for costs, expenses and taxes, which included £5.28 million in relation to Charles Russell’s fees (inc VAT), £162,000 in relation to Field Fisher Waterhouse’s fees (inc VAT), £3.53 million in relation to Irwin Mitchell’s fees (inc VAT) and £245,000 in relation to other solicitors fees and expenses (inc VAT).

• The Trustees considered the additional information provided by Cazenove. They resolved to submit the proposals to the Department of Health to increase the Basic Sum award to beneficiaries and they agreed that the most just option would be to increase this on an annual basis. They asked that FFW prepare projections demonstrating what would happen to the Fund when different percentage rates of increase were used.

• The Trustees agreed to delay decisions in relation to investments with Cazenove until after the proposals for increasing the Basic Sum had been agreed by the Department of Health. They reiterated the importance of protecting the Funds no matter what investments they adopted.

• The Trustees discussed the overlap between Claims for Carer’s Loss of Earnings and Particular Financial Hardship claims. They stressed the importance of highlighting the different causes of the hardship over different periods of time. If incorrectly submitted one claim might inadvertently preclude other claims available to the Victim.

• Elaine Motion was unanimously reappointed to be a Trustee.

• The Trustees discussed the hourly rates of psychiatrists on the approved list and agreed to add Dr Mark Salter to the list as he was excellent, reasonably inexpensive and keen.

• The Trustees discussed the issue of their own fees which had not been increased since the Trust began in 2002. Currently, the Trustees were eligible to claim £400 per half day meeting, £800 for a full day meeting and £100 per hour for preparation.  In fact, and for the last few years, almost all the meetings had been charged at £400 for a half day.  The Trustees resolved that they did not wish to seek a review of their fees/expenses.