Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will request a meeting with the German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to discuss possible compensation from the German government for British survivors of thalidomide; and if he will make a statement.

I am due to meet with the Minister for Europe on 17 December to discuss the issue of Thalidomide and will consider after that whether further representations need to be made to the German Government.

I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and agreed to write to my counterpart in Germany. I subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments, asking if she would meet with the Trust.