Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will request a meeting with the German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to discuss possible compensation from the German government for British survivors of thalidomide; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I am due to meet with the Minister for Europe on 17 December to discuss the issue of Thalidomide and will consider after that whether further representations need to be made to the German Government.
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and agreed to write to my counterpart in Germany. I subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments, asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the German government about (a) that government's role in the criminal process relating to thalidomide and (b) compensation for all those affected by that drug; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on 14 October 2014, asking if she would meet with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust. The specific issues of the German Government’s role in the criminal process and compensation for those affected by the drug were not addressed but we understand that these are the matters that the Thalidomide Trust wishes to discuss with the German Government.
Asked by: Sandra Osborne (Labour - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has made to the German Government about the issue of responsibility for the victims of thalidomide damage in the UK; and what the UK Government's responsibilities are in this matter.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on 14 October 2014, asking if she would meet with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust. The specific issue of responsibility for the victims of the Thalidomide disaster was not addressed.
Asked by: Cathy Jamieson (Labour (Co-op) - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on financial support for victims of thalidomide.
Answered by Norman Lamb
Departmental officials have regular, ongoing discussions with colleagues in the devolved administrations on the issue of Thalidomide. Following a meeting with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014, I wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments, asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Sandra Osborne (Labour - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has made to his German counterpart on thalidomide damage in the UK.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments, asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the German government on securing funding for British victims of thalidomide.
Answered by David Lidington
The British Government has made representations to the German Government on behalf of the Thalidomide Trust aimed at securing a meeting between the Trust and the relevant German authorities.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to discuss with the National Advisory Council of the Thalidomide Trust a contribution by his Department towards the health costs of British Thalidomide survivors; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
On 20 December 2012, I announced a new 10-year grant to the Thalidomide Trust worth in the region of £80 million. The grant was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs that thalidomiders have, particularly as they approach older age, and will enable the Thalidomide Trust and its members to explore more innovative ways of preventing further deterioration in the health of Thalidomide survivors in England and to help them to preserve their independence.
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the government of Germany makes appropriate financial contributions to British victims of Thalidomide; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
On 20 December 2012, I announced a new 10-year grant to the Thalidomide Trust worth in the region of £80 million. The grant was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs that thalidomiders have, particularly as they approach older age, and will enable the Thalidomide Trust and its members to explore more innovative ways of preventing further deterioration in the health of Thalidomide survivors in England and to help them to preserve their independence.
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has held with disability campaigners on securing compensation from Grünenthal for people affected by thalidomide; and if he will make representations to his German counterpart on that matter.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure the health and independence of UK thalidomide victims.
Answered by Norman Lamb
On 20 December 2012, I announced a new 10-year grant to the Thalidomide Trust. The grant will be paid on an annual basis, uprated in line with inflation, which means that over the 10-year period it will be worth in the region of £80 million.
The grant is intended to enable investment in adaptations and preventative measures to improve health and wellbeing and to help minimise further deterioration for this unique group of people.