Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to issue a official apology to those affected by the historical prescription of diethylstilbestrol.

We recognise the consequences for those who were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and are sorry that women and their families have suffered for far too long.

The Department has not made an assessment of the merits of launching a public information campaign relating to DES and has no plans to do so at this time.

The Government will keep listening to all those who are affected through exposure to DES and consider what more we can do to improve the situation for them.

The Government is committed to advancing patient safety and a learning culture within the National Health Service so that we can avoid harmful events happening to patients in the first place. This includes continued implementation of key measures under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy. The changes we are making as part of the 10-Year Health Plan and Dr Penny Dash’s report on the patient safety landscape will improve quality and safety by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sit at all levels of the system.