Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for Thalidomide victims from the German Government.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I have followed this issue closely and appreciate its importance. I have met representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on several occasions, most recently in November 2017. I subsequently raised Thalidomide with the then German Ambassador in January 2018.
The British Government has not been involved directly in talks with the German Government on compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide but wishes to assist where it can. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has helped the Trust make its own representations to the German Government and the Trust held meetings with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs in September and December 2017. FCO officials remain in close contact with the Thalidomide Trust and will continue to pursue discussions with the German Government in an effort to make progress on securing successful compensation for those eligible.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2016 to Question 45858 and 2 August 2016 to Question 42407, whether Government assistance has been provided to the UK Thalidomide Trust on its proposal to allow collective compensation applications to Contergan Foundation established by the German government.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government has discussed this proposal with the Thalidomide Trust and is considering the detail. The German Government has been clear, however, that collective compensation is not permissible. In response to the UK Government's previous correspondence they have stated that:
"The assessment of damage by the Medical Commission of the Contergan Foundation and the individual categorization in line with the damage points according to the legally stipulated points based system are mandatory – irrespective of analogous assessments from abroad".
The German Government further states that there are approximately 300 non-German recognised persons worldwide who are currently supported by the Contergan Foundation, each of whom has undergone individual assessment. This information has been shared with the Trust.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the Government's discussions with the German government on (a) the proposed compensation scheme for UK thalidomide survivors and (b) proposals for UK Thalidomide Trust to submit collective compensation applications.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 2 August 2016 (42407).Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in his talks with the German government on compensation for British citizens affected by Thalidomide.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK Government has not been involved in talks with the German Government on compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide. We have been assisting the Thalidomide Trust in making their own representations directly to the German Government.
At the request of representatives of the Thalidomide Trust the then Minister for Europe (Rt Hon David Lidington MP) wrote on 4 February to the German Ambassador to London, setting out the Trust’s desire for further discussions with the German Government and requesting his support in raising the matter within Germany. The Ambassador passed this request to the German Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The FCO received a response from the Families Ministry on 1 June. In this response the German Government sets out that UK survivors of Thalidomide are able to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation For Disabled People.
The Contergan Foundation was established by the German Government to help disabled people whose deformities can be linked to their mothers taking medicinal products during pregnancy which contained thalidomide. While funded in part by the German Government, the Contergan Foundation is independent of the German Government who do not control or influence the awards made. As such the Families Ministry declined to meet the Thalidomide Trust for further discussions and reiterated their belief that British survivors should contact the Contergan Foundation.
The UK Government remains in contact with the Thalidomide Trust to discuss all aspects of this case.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for thalidomide survivors in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Lidington
At a meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on 11 January, I agreed to raise with the German Ambassador the Trust's request for a further meeting with the German authorities. I wrote in these terms to the Ambassador on 4 February.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from thalidomide survivors' groups; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Thalidomide Health Grants are currently for 10 years from 2012 to 2022.They total £80 million in England, £14.2 million in Scotland, £7.5 million in Wales and £4.6 million in Northern Ireland. The Thalidomide Trust administer the Health Grants and the number of beneficiaries receiving the Grants since their inception is set out in the following table.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Freeman) MP, had an introductory meeting with representatives from the Thalidomide Trust and its National Advisory Councilon 22 October last year.
Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
England | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 |
Scotland | 58 | 55 | 54 | 55 |
Wales | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Northern Ireland | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Total | 432 | 430 | 429 | 430 |
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the total beneficiaries from the Thalidomide Health Grants in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Thalidomide Health Grants are currently for 10 years from 2012 to 2022.They total £80 million in England, £14.2 million in Scotland, £7.5 million in Wales and £4.6 million in Northern Ireland. The Thalidomide Trust administer the Health Grants and the number of beneficiaries receiving the Grants since their inception is set out in the following table.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Freeman) MP, had an introductory meeting with representatives from the Thalidomide Trust and its National Advisory Councilon 22 October last year.
Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
England | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 |
Scotland | 58 | 55 | 54 | 55 |
Wales | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Northern Ireland | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Total | 432 | 430 | 429 | 430 |
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS budget was spent on (a) generic and (b) branded cancer medicines for each of the last five years.
Answered by George Freeman
Information on National Health Service expenditure and expenditure on branded and generic cancer drugs is provided in the table. Information on the cost of other non-drug treatments for cancer is not held in the format requested.
Proportions have not been provided as the information on cancer drug expenditure may not represent what was actually paid for the drugs by the NHS. The net ingredient cost shown for drugs in primary care is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income. The cost of secondary care drugs is the cost at NHS list price and will not necessarily be the price the hospital paid.
Year | Total NHS revenue expenditure – outturn (£ million) | Cancer drugs expenditure – primary care (£ million) 1 | Cancer drugs1 expenditure – secondary care (£ million) 1 | Total cancer drugs1 expenditure (£ million) 1,2 | ||||
Branded | Generic | Total | Branded | Generic | Total | |||
2010-11 | 97,469 | 207 | 21 | 228 | 640 | 206 | 846 | 1,074 |
2011-12 | 100,266 | 136 | 54 | 190 | 710 | 247 | 957 | 1,148 |
2012-13 | 102,570 | 122 | 20 | 142 | 874 | 245 | 1,118 | 1,260 |
2013-14 | 106,495 | 121 | 22 | 143 | 1,078 | 262 | 1,340 | 1,483 |
2014-15 | 110,554 | 120 | 27 | 147 | 1,314 | 300 | 1,614 | 1,761 |
Source: Department of Health: Prescription Cost Analysis and IMS Health: Hospital Pharmacy Audit Index provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Notes:
1 as classified in British National Formulary section 8.1 Cytotoxic drugs, section 8.3 Sex hormones and hormone antagonists in malignant disease, paragraph 8.2.3 Anti-lymphocyte monoclonal antibodies (but also used in other indications) and paragraph 8.2.4 Other immunomodulating drugs (interferon-alfa, aldesleukin, bacillus calmette-guerin, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, thalidomide and mifamurtide only).
2 Total figures may not sum due to rounding.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS budget was spent on (a) cancer drug treatments and (b) other treatments in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Freeman
Information on National Health Service expenditure and expenditure on branded and generic cancer drugs is provided in the table. Information on the cost of other non-drug treatments for cancer is not held in the format requested.
Proportions have not been provided as the information on cancer drug expenditure may not represent what was actually paid for the drugs by the NHS. The net ingredient cost shown for drugs in primary care is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income. The cost of secondary care drugs is the cost at NHS list price and will not necessarily be the price the hospital paid.
Year | Total NHS revenue expenditure – outturn (£ million) | Cancer drugs expenditure – primary care (£ million) 1 | Cancer drugs1 expenditure – secondary care (£ million) 1 | Total cancer drugs1 expenditure (£ million) 1,2 | ||||
Branded | Generic | Total | Branded | Generic | Total | |||
2010-11 | 97,469 | 207 | 21 | 228 | 640 | 206 | 846 | 1,074 |
2011-12 | 100,266 | 136 | 54 | 190 | 710 | 247 | 957 | 1,148 |
2012-13 | 102,570 | 122 | 20 | 142 | 874 | 245 | 1,118 | 1,260 |
2013-14 | 106,495 | 121 | 22 | 143 | 1,078 | 262 | 1,340 | 1,483 |
2014-15 | 110,554 | 120 | 27 | 147 | 1,314 | 300 | 1,614 | 1,761 |
Source: Department of Health: Prescription Cost Analysis and IMS Health: Hospital Pharmacy Audit Index provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Notes:
1 as classified in British National Formulary section 8.1 Cytotoxic drugs, section 8.3 Sex hormones and hormone antagonists in malignant disease, paragraph 8.2.3 Anti-lymphocyte monoclonal antibodies (but also used in other indications) and paragraph 8.2.4 Other immunomodulating drugs (interferon-alfa, aldesleukin, bacillus calmette-guerin, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, thalidomide and mifamurtide only).
2 Total figures may not sum due to rounding.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual cost is of the health needs of UK thalidomide survivors.
Answered by George Freeman
In addition to using NHS services, thalidomide survivors have access to health grants in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The grants are administered by the Thalidomide Trust and allocations in 2015 are set out in the following table.
Allocations under the Thalidomide Health Grants in 2015
Country | Total Allocation (£000s) | Number of beneficiaries |
England | 7,454 | 325 |
Scotland | 1,254 | 55 |
Wales | 782 | 31 |
Northern Ireland | 472 | 19 |