Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Durkan Excerpts
Tuesday 23rd November 2010

(13 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Crispin Blunt Portrait Mr Blunt
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I am afraid that we have concluded that, due to the extremely challenging financial climate, it no longer makes sense to go ahead with the work started by the last Government on identifying the unmet medical needs of those who have suffered a miscarriage of justice because there are not going to be additional funds to meet those needs.

Mark Durkan Portrait Mark Durkan (Foyle) (SDLP)
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Despite that answer, will the Minister still agree to meet those interested MPs, because in a previous answer he said the Government would ensure that services were available through the NHS, whereas the fact is that they are not? These particular needs can best be met—and most effectively and most cost-efficiently—by having a more discrete system, and it would pay the Minister and the Department to meet these MPs and MOJO.

Crispin Blunt Portrait Mr Blunt
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I am, of course, very happy to meet parliamentary colleagues to discuss this issue. Meetings are due between Ministry of Justice officials and those in the Department of Health to see how matters can be improved. I am sure that those discussions will be improved by the knowledge that I will gain from colleagues, so I am happy to have the meetings.