Valproate and Foetal Anticonvulsant Syndrome

Martin Whitfield Excerpts

Thursday 19th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Norman Lamb]

I completely agree. I will make the case a little later, but it seems unanswerable and the Government need to reflect on that.

What happened was worse than just the neglect of not telling women. The minutes from the 18 July 1973 meeting of the sub-committee on adverse reactions, a sub-committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, have been uncovered. That document reveals a real outrage, because it talks about keeping the information from women—deliberately withholding it

“especially as it could give rise to fruitless anxiety.”

It continued:

“Nevertheless, they thought it would be best if prescribers were all made aware of the nature of the evidence and recommended that a statement similar to that proposed by ICI”—

in respect of another product—

“could be included in all relevant data sheets but not on package inserts so that there would be no danger of patients themselves seeing it.”

That is extraordinary.

[Martin Whitfield (East Lothian) (Lab)]

Would the right hon. Gentleman share my great disappointment if the original documents were to go missing from the archive while these debates and this campaign are ongoing?

[Norman Lamb]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. Issues such as this are of enormous concern and this raises the question whether there needs to be some sort of inquiry or Hillsborough-style panel to look at exactly how it has happened. However, it is important that we focus on the top priority, which is ensuring that women get told, that this drug is not used inappropriately and that a compensation package of some sort is put in place.