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.
Asked by: Andrew Bingham (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of reports by disability campaigners that the German government was complicit in preventing British victims of thalidomide from securing compensation from Grünenthal; and if he will make representations to his German counterpart on that matter.
Answered by Norman Lamb
No assessment has been made of the German Government's role in relation to British Thalidomide survivors and the issue of compensation from the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal.
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014. We are considering further what representations we might make in the light of this meeting. A further meeting between the Thalidomide Trust and the Minister for Europe is due to take place on 3 September.