Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government records deaths where harm caused by sodium valproate exposure is listed as a contributing factor.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects and publishes mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. Deaths in which harm caused by sodium valproate exposure is a contributing factor are not captured as a distinct, searchable category in ONS mortality statistics. Further information on mortality statistics is available on the ONS website, at the following link:
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of international no-fault compensation schemes for medicine-induced harm, including those in New Zealand, Sweden and Denmark, in relation to sodium valproate.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s consideration of the Hughes Report’s recommendations for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate will take account of how other countries have chosen to approach this issue.
This is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report, and made clear the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the MHRA’s effectiveness at communicating known risks of sodium valproate, particularly in pregnancy, prior to 2018.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As with all medicines, the safety of valproate has been kept under continual review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), ensuring the product information reflects what is known about valproate.
The known risks of valproate are outlined in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet. Over the years information about the reproductive risks has been updated as data emerged. The MHRA also issued communications via their bulletins Current Problems and Drug Safety Update on valproate, particularly the reproductive risks.
The report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review published in 2020 examined how the healthcare system, including MHRA and its predecessors, responded to risks from medicines and medical devices, including valproate, and annex C of the report includes a timeline of key events including communications and updates to the product information undertaken by the MHRA.
Since 2016, the MHRA has carefully reviewed feedback from patients and healthcare professionals within the Valproate Stakeholder Network (VSN) to assess the effectiveness of communications on the risks of sodium valproate use during pregnancy. The VSN also informed the design of a pictogram warning on the medicine carton and blister pack.
In addition, the MHRA has rigorously monitored the effectiveness of the communication of the known risks through healthcare professional and patient surveys started in 2014, which have formed part of a European Union wide post authorisation safety study for valproate.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether interim compensation payments have been considered for families involved in the first ten claims of the FAC litigation concerning sodium valproate.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not specifically considered interim compensation for the families involved in the Fetal Anti‑Convulsant litigation. On redress more broadly, I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress on the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
This is a complex, cross‑Government policy area involving multiple organisations. As set out in the Hughes Report, the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations, including the proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by sodium valproate. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had specific discussions with international counterparts regarding the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to individuals harmed by sodium valproate. Our focus remains on improving the safety of sodium valproate, so it is not used for women or girls of childbearing potential unless a pregnancy prevention plan is in place and other treatments are ineffective or not tolerated. The Government is also carefully considering the recommendations made by the Patient Safety Commissioner in The Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing financial compensation to people harmed by sodium valproate by using the same compensation process as for thalidomide survivors.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s consideration of the Hughes Report’s recommendations for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate will include comparison with the compensation process for thalidomide survivors. However, this is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit is primarily reserved for people settled in the UK, and the Government has announced plans to increase the standard time most migrants have to wait before they can achieve settlement, from five to 10 years.
This change will support the downward trend of Universal Credit claimants who are foreign nationals.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data NHS England holds on emergency admissions, emergency care and levels of unmet need among individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not centrally held. NHS England does not hold data on admissions or attendances that specifically identifies individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that cats are included in the Animal Welfare Strategy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December and sets out priorities for animal welfare, focusing on the changes and improvements the Government aim to achieve by 2030.
In the Strategy Defra has committed to take steps to improve the uptake of the pet selling licence by those who sell cats and kittens as pets. The department will also improve its understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
Cats will benefit from broader measures outlined in the Strategy including tackling low welfare imports and implementing the measures contained in the Renters’ Rights Act to make it easier for tenants to keep pets in rented accommodation.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2026 to Question 98592, which independent organisation has been contracted to conduct the audit of Palestinian Authority curriculum reform.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 January 2026 to Question 104985.