Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tony Lloyd

Wednesday 21st February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

Absolutely.

[Tony Lloyd (Rochdale) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State will be aware that many of the women who took Primodos would not necessarily have known at the time that that was what they were taking or what the consequences were, and it is only later that they may have realised what took place. How will they be brought into the review? If there is to be compensation at some point, what will the test be? It would be unfair for them to have to prove that they were victims of the drug.

[Mr Hunt]

I wish it was easy to give the hon. Gentleman a straightforward answer, but the truth is that there is much scientific disagreement about whether there is a causal link, which makes it difficult to give clear answers to his constituents and, indeed, to mine. I hope that the review will shed some clarity on the situation, because that is what many people want.

Maternity Safety Strategy

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tony Lloyd

Tuesday 28th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I am very happy to undertake to do that.

[Tony Lloyd (Rochdale) (Lab)]

I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement, but will he reconfirm the advice from NICE that midwife-led birthing centres are safe under the appropriate circumstances? In areas such as Rochdale, where the birth rate has shot up dramatically following the closure of its maternity unit, the provision of something like a midwife-led centre would be the right approach.

[Mr Hunt]

I can absolutely confirm that for low-risk births that is the case, but it is also key to spot the births that are not low-risk, so that alternative provision can be made.

Leveson Inquiry

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tony Lloyd

Wednesday 25th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

My reason for involving the OFT and Ofcom in this process to a much greater extent than I was required to do under the Enterprise Act 2002 was precisely that I wanted to address the concerns that Members of this House and the public might have about my prejudging this issue. At every stage—I took four major decisions, each of which was not the decision that News Corp wanted—and on every ruling that I made, I carefully considered that independent advice, and after considering it, I followed it.

[Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central) (Lab)]

The Culture Secretary did not answer the question put by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson). Will he be very precise and tell the House now, because this is important evidence, whether he knew of the exchanges between his special adviser and Mr Michel? Did he know of the contents of those exchanges?