Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Nokes Excerpts
Wednesday 15th September 2021

(3 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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The Prime Minister was asked—
Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North) (Con)
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Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 15 September.

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)
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I know that the whole House will want to join me in congratulating Emma Raducanu, Joe Salisbury, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid on their victories in the US Open. They have made the whole nation proud.

On Battle of Britain Day, we honour the legacy of those brave aircrews who defended our nation.

I am sure that hon. Members will also want to join me in wishing you well, Mr Speaker, for the G7 Speakers and Presiding Officers conference in Chorley later this week.

This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes
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I would like to pass on my condolences to the Prime Minister on the sad loss of his mother.

Raising children is very expensive—more so when they are disabled. The children impacted by sodium valproate have suffered physically, mentally and indeed financially. When the Cumberlege report was published, there was real hope that they would get support. However, on the last day before the summer recess, a written ministerial statement indicated that recommendation 4 of that report would not be actioned. May I please ask my right hon. Friend to urge the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to look again at that and give the parents of those children the financial redress that they so desperately need?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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I thank my right hon. Friend for her kind words. On her substantive point, she is entirely right to raise the issues investigated by Baroness Cumberlege. We have given the report full consideration, accept its overarching conclusions and are committed to making rapid progress in addressing all the areas that it mentions, including the one that my right hon. Friend covered today.