Beith calls for more support for Thalidomide victims

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 7th May 2009

Alan Beith MP has voiced his support for Thalidomide victims.

People born with disabilities as a result of their mothers being prescribed Thalidomide for morning sickness in the 1960s and 1970s should now receive direct financial help from the government for their problems, says Lib Dem MP Sir Alan Beith.

He has put his name to a Commons motion which calls on the Government to recognise that as the surviving victims enter their 40s and 50s, many of them face a host of new problems as their bodies suffer from the wear and tear that the overuse of certain muscles has caused, dramatically restricting movement and pushing the cost of mobility up.

Alan Beith said

"The manufacturers were eventually forced to increase their compensation as a result of a very strong campaign but even this could not take into account unforeseen future problems arising from Thalidomide.

"I believe these people should now receive direct help from the state and the Government to introduce a financial assistance package to improve the lives of Thalidomide victims."

The full text of EDM 779 can be found here: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37839&SESSION=899