Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a national redress scheme for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue, and the Government's priority is to ensure that any response is fair, balanced and sensitive to those affected.

The Department is carefully considering the recommendations within the Hughes Report, including the merits of any potential redress scheme, in collaboration with relevant departments, and we aim to provide an update in due course.