Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of England’s Patient Safety Commissioner in the 'Hughes Report' on the sodium valproate and mesh implant scandals; when they intend to respond to that report; and when they anticipate the first payments arising under the recommended redress scheme may be made.

The Government is considering the recommendations of The Hughes Report, and to prevent future harm, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, and others have taken action to strengthen oversight of valproate prescribing and mesh procedures. For example, nine specialist mesh centres are in operation across England, ensuring that women with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse get the right support in every region, and we have maintained the national pause on the use of pelvic mesh, which has been in place since July 2018.