Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing interim payments to victims of sodium valproate.

The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations and will respond substantively in due course.