Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Steve Brine

Tuesday 15th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

13. What recent clinical advice he has sought on the licensing of cannabis oil for medicinal purposes.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine)]

The Government acted swiftly to change the law to allow cannabis-based products to be prescribed for those patients who might benefit, with advice from the chief medical officer and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. NHS England and the CMO have written to clinicians in England highlighting the interim clinical guidance available.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Steve Brine

Tuesday 19th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

T10. Possibly as many as 20,000 babies have been born with birth defects as a consequence of their mothers having used sodium valproate during pregnancy. When will mandatory warnings be given to pregnant women about the risks associated with valproate, and when will we see independent analysis of how we got to this dreadful situation?

[Steve Brine]

There is huge interest in this subject in the House. Over the past three years, there has been extensive work to communicate advice on the risks of valproate in pregnancy, through a huge number of channels, to help professionals and patients. It is evident from monitoring activities that providing health professionals with information, even when repeated constantly through multiple sources, is not changing prescribing behaviour sufficiently to minimise harm to children exposed to valproate in pregnancy. The expert working group of the Commission on Human Medicines is informing the UK position in European negotiations and advising on the national action required within the UK health system. [Interruption.] Sorry, Mr Speaker.