Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether interim compensation payments have been considered for families involved in the first ten claims of the FAC litigation concerning sodium valproate.

The Department has not specifically considered interim compensation for the families involved in the Fetal Anti‑Convulsant litigation. On redress more broadly, I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress on the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.

This is a complex, cross‑Government policy area involving multiple organisations. As set out in the Hughes Report, the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations, including the proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by sodium valproate. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.