Apology for thalidomide survivors

The government will apologise later to the victims of the thalidomide scandal after agreeing a £20m support package.

Health minister Mike O'Brien will make the formal apology in an oral statement to MPs after announcing the funding in December, the government said.

Pregnant women were prescribed the drug in the 1950s and 1960s as a treatment for morning sickness or insomnia.

It was withdrawn from sale in 1961 after 2,000 babies were born with limb deformities and other damage.

The drug's UK manufacturer, Distillers Biochemicals, paid around £28m compensation in the 1970s following a legal battle by the families of those affected.

The Thalidomide Trust, which distributes aid to sufferers, welcomed the new government support package last month, announced by Mr O'Brien as a "real benefit".

It is hoped the pilot scheme, to be reviewed after three years, will give people affected by thalidomide more control over their long-term health needs as they get older.

There are currently 466 survivors in the UK.