Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason Natural England's annual report and accounts for 2023/24 have not yet been presented to Parliament; and what his planned timetable is for its publication.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Natural England are working with external auditors to ensure that their Annual Report and Accounts are true and fair. The process has taken longer this year due to ensuring that new accounting judgements are robust. We are in the final stages of the audit and intend to publish within the next month.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's contract entitled Medical Assessments: Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, procurement reference, CF-0724900D0O000000rwimUAA, whether Crawford & Company are required to respond to Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme claims within a specified time period; and whether they receive rewards on account of the speed of assessments.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The length of time it takes to process a Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) claim varies from case to case. This is because medical records will often be gathered from claimants’ healthcare providers before a claim undergoes medical assessment, and receiving a claimant’s records can take time.

95% of the assessments that are shared with an independent medical assessor should be returned to the VDPS administrators, the NHS Business Service Authority, within 15 working days. Sometimes this can take longer because medical assessments are complex, and these medical assessors will review individual medical records, which can be thousands of pages.

No rewards are provided within the contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what services the NHSBSA paid Crawford & Co; and what the budget for expenditure on the services of Crawford & Co is for the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for 2025-26.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Crawford & Company currently provides a medical assessment service for the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). The VDPS budget for 2025/26, including payments to claimants, the budget for Crawford & Company, and the budget for the operation of the scheme by the NHS Business Services Authority, is £38.6 million. Final expenditure by Crawford & Company will depend on a number of variables, including the number of claims received.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme claims on Covid-19 vaccinations which have been accepted following mandatory reversal based upon (a) additional evidence provided and (b) existing evidence.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) can ask for a reassessment, known as a mandatory reversal, if they disagree with the decision on the eligibility of their claim. Additional evidence can be added before it is reassessed, and this can include medical records.

Between 1 November 2021, when the NHS Business Services Authority took over administration of the VDPS, and 20 March 2025, 25 claims have been awarded a Vaccine Damage Payment following a mandatory reversal. Additional evidence was provided for all of these claims.

Claims without additional evidence are received and reassessed through the mandatory reversal process. However, no claims without additional evidence have been awarded a Vaccine Damage Payment.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Public Bill Committee The Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons was chaired by Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Presented by Sir Christopher Chope Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 21st October 2024

Found: Presented by Sir Christopher Chope Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 25th March 2025

Found: Presented by Sir Christopher Chope Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 21st October 2024

Found: Presented by Sir Christopher Chope Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 21st October 2024

Found: Public Bill Committee The Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons was chaired by Sir Christopher Chope

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