Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the publication of the findings of the Commission on Human Medicines’ independent scientific review of the publication by Professor Carl Heneghan into hormone pregnancy tests.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Since publication of the report of the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) the Government has committed to review any important new evidence that arises. In response to publication of the study by Heneghan et al. the Commission on Human Medicines convened an Expert Group to advise on the suitability and robustness of the methodology (including the selection and application of the data quality score) and any clinical implications.
To ensure impartiality none of the members of the Group was involved in the previous review by the Expert Working Group on HPTs. A specific conflict of interest policy was developed and all participants were required to complete and sign a declaration of interests form. Participants were asked to declare personal or non-personal interests in the companies who marketed HPTs or whose predecessors marketed them, current or previous involvement in any studies or reviews on HPTs, the expression in public of a strong opinion about HPTs or any of the companies that produced them, and direct or indirect involvement with, or peer review of, the publication by Heneghan et al. The conflict of interest policy and declarations of participants will be made public in due course.
For complete transparency the meeting was observed by the Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by HPTs, an advocate for those affected by thalidomide, a Lay representative and a representative from the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review.
In parallel, the European Medicines Agency is conducting an independent review of the publication by Heneghan et al. Both reviews are ongoing, and we expect the conclusions to be made public within a month of their completion, likely to be May 2019.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2018 to Question 185531 on Germany: Thalidomide, what progress he has made on making it easier for UK Thalidomide victims to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation.
Answered by Alan Duncan
On 6 November 2018 I spoke with the German Ambassador to seek his assistance to make it easier for UK Thalidomide Survivors to apply for funding from the Contergan Foundation. He explained that only those who took the drug supplied by Grunenthal directly would be eligible for funding. The German Government do not consider that they have any liability for those who took the drug distributed under licence in the UK. Therefore, very few, if any, UK survivors would be eligible for this compensation.
I and UK officials have done all we can to address this issue with the German Government. We will continue to encourage constructive dialogue between the Thalidomide Trust and the German Government to explore what other support may be available.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the German government on broadening access for other Europeans to its thalidomide fund.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government is sympathetic to the care needs of UK Thalidomide survivors, who continue to benefit from the £80 million grant, to be paid over 10 years, which was announced by the Department of Health in 2012.
The FCO has helped the Thalidomide Trust to make its own representations to the German Government regarding the possibility of payments for UK Thalidomide survivors. I met representatives of the Trust to discuss this on several occasions. I raised the issue with my German counterpart Michael Roth on 9 July and with the German Ambassador on 23 July, to whom I handed a letter from Simon Hoare MP to Chancellor Merkel on behalf of the House of Commons All Party Thalidomide Group. In response to these representations, the German government has confirmed that UK Thalidomide victims are eligible to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation.
I hope to continue discussions with the German government on how it might be made easier for UK survivors to apply for these funds when I visit Berlin later this month.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for Thalidomide victims from the German Government.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I have followed this issue closely and appreciate its importance. I have met representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on several occasions, most recently in November 2017. I subsequently raised Thalidomide with the then German Ambassador in January 2018.
The British Government has not been involved directly in talks with the German Government on compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide but wishes to assist where it can. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has helped the Trust make its own representations to the German Government and the Trust held meetings with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs in September and December 2017. FCO officials remain in close contact with the Thalidomide Trust and will continue to pursue discussions with the German Government in an effort to make progress on securing successful compensation for those eligible.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2016 to Question 45858 and 2 August 2016 to Question 42407, whether Government assistance has been provided to the UK Thalidomide Trust on its proposal to allow collective compensation applications to Contergan Foundation established by the German government.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government has discussed this proposal with the Thalidomide Trust and is considering the detail. The German Government has been clear, however, that collective compensation is not permissible. In response to the UK Government's previous correspondence they have stated that:
"The assessment of damage by the Medical Commission of the Contergan Foundation and the individual categorization in line with the damage points according to the legally stipulated points based system are mandatory – irrespective of analogous assessments from abroad".
The German Government further states that there are approximately 300 non-German recognised persons worldwide who are currently supported by the Contergan Foundation, each of whom has undergone individual assessment. This information has been shared with the Trust.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the Government's discussions with the German government on (a) the proposed compensation scheme for UK thalidomide survivors and (b) proposals for UK Thalidomide Trust to submit collective compensation applications.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 2 August 2016 (42407).Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in his talks with the German government on compensation for British citizens affected by Thalidomide.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK Government has not been involved in talks with the German Government on compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide. We have been assisting the Thalidomide Trust in making their own representations directly to the German Government.
At the request of representatives of the Thalidomide Trust the then Minister for Europe (Rt Hon David Lidington MP) wrote on 4 February to the German Ambassador to London, setting out the Trust’s desire for further discussions with the German Government and requesting his support in raising the matter within Germany. The Ambassador passed this request to the German Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The FCO received a response from the Families Ministry on 1 June. In this response the German Government sets out that UK survivors of Thalidomide are able to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation For Disabled People.
The Contergan Foundation was established by the German Government to help disabled people whose deformities can be linked to their mothers taking medicinal products during pregnancy which contained thalidomide. While funded in part by the German Government, the Contergan Foundation is independent of the German Government who do not control or influence the awards made. As such the Families Ministry declined to meet the Thalidomide Trust for further discussions and reiterated their belief that British survivors should contact the Contergan Foundation.
The UK Government remains in contact with the Thalidomide Trust to discuss all aspects of this case.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for thalidomide survivors in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Lidington
At a meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on 11 January, I agreed to raise with the German Ambassador the Trust's request for a further meeting with the German authorities. I wrote in these terms to the Ambassador on 4 February.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from thalidomide survivors' groups; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Thalidomide Health Grants are currently for 10 years from 2012 to 2022.They total £80 million in England, £14.2 million in Scotland, £7.5 million in Wales and £4.6 million in Northern Ireland. The Thalidomide Trust administer the Health Grants and the number of beneficiaries receiving the Grants since their inception is set out in the following table.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Freeman) MP, had an introductory meeting with representatives from the Thalidomide Trust and its National Advisory Councilon 22 October last year.
Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
England | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 |
Scotland | 58 | 55 | 54 | 55 |
Wales | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Northern Ireland | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Total | 432 | 430 | 429 | 430 |
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the total beneficiaries from the Thalidomide Health Grants in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Thalidomide Health Grants are currently for 10 years from 2012 to 2022.They total £80 million in England, £14.2 million in Scotland, £7.5 million in Wales and £4.6 million in Northern Ireland. The Thalidomide Trust administer the Health Grants and the number of beneficiaries receiving the Grants since their inception is set out in the following table.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Freeman) MP, had an introductory meeting with representatives from the Thalidomide Trust and its National Advisory Councilon 22 October last year.
Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
England | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 |
Scotland | 58 | 55 | 54 | 55 |
Wales | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Northern Ireland | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Total | 432 | 430 | 429 | 430 |