Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it is his policy to make interim payments to valporate and pelvic mesh victims this calendar year.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including options for interim payments.

The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.

I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very productive discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the A47/A1101 Elm Road Junction scheme from the Road Investment Strategy pipeline on the level of road safety, congestion, and economic growth.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As part of development work between 2020 and 2025, all of the proposals within the pipeline of future enhancement schemes listed in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) were assessed against a range of factors, including their affordability, deliverability and value for money. They were also assessed and tested as part of an objective impact analysis against their broader alignment to Government objectives including impacts on road user safety and wider economic growth.

In 2023, improvements to the A47 at the Elm Road Junction were overall assessed as not representing value for money. The decision was therefore taken to remove them from the future Pipeline. National Highways will continue, however, to work closely with the relevant local authorities to consider options for improving the performance of this section of the A47.