Sir Mike Penning spoke in Parliament last week calling on the Government to honour the recommendations of the Cumberlege Report and pay compensation to women and families affected by the Primodos scandal.

Primodos was a hormone pregnancy test used in the 1960s and 70s that induced menstruation in women. The subsequent presence or absence of menstrual bleeding was then used to determine pregnancy. This was a highly invasive procedure and there is evidence to suggest it caused damage to the foetus in some women who were pregnant when they took the test.

Sir Mike, who is a long-time campaigner on this issue, called on the Government last week to honour the report’s recommendation that redress schemes be set up for the families affected.

The NHS and drug manufacturer knew this was a dangerous drug in 1967 but the drug continued to be given to women up until 1978.

Speaking afterwards, Sir Mike said:

“The Government is delaying this. It is quite simple; mistakes were made, and Government needs to put their hands up and admit it.

“It is time to make sure that we look after those families and the drug companies need to pay for what they did to those families.

“The victims need justice, and they need support now. We must not let this roll on and on. I urge the Government to quickly act on Recommendation 4 about redress.”

The report, First Do No Harm, published by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege CBE DL looked at Primodos, the epilepsy drug Valproate and women left in severe