Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

Debate between Tony Lloyd and Jeremy Hunt

Wednesday 21st February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

Absolutely.

[Tony Lloyd (Rochdale) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State will be aware that many of the women who took Primodos would not necessarily have known at the time that that was what they were taking or what the consequences were, and it is only later that they may have realised what took place. How will they be brought into the review? If there is to be compensation at some point, what will the test be? It would be unfair for them to have to prove that they were victims of the drug.

[Mr Hunt]

I wish it was easy to give the hon. Gentleman a straightforward answer, but the truth is that there is much scientific disagreement about whether there is a causal link, which makes it difficult to give clear answers to his constituents and, indeed, to mine. I hope that the review will shed some clarity on the situation, because that is what many people want.

Maternity Safety Strategy

Debate between Tony Lloyd and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 28th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I am very happy to undertake to do that.

[Tony Lloyd (Rochdale) (Lab)]

I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement, but will he reconfirm the advice from NICE that midwife-led birthing centres are safe under the appropriate circumstances? In areas such as Rochdale, where the birth rate has shot up dramatically following the closure of its maternity unit, the provision of something like a midwife-led centre would be the right approach.

[Mr Hunt]

I can absolutely confirm that for low-risk births that is the case, but it is also key to spot the births that are not low-risk, so that alternative provision can be made.