[Seamus Logan: I appreciate the complexities of the steps that the Minister is outlining. Nevertheless, in repeated contributions, Members have asked for a timescale, so will the Minister respond by the end of the Session? Will she respond by the autumn? Will she respond by the end of the calendar year? Can she give us some clarification, please?

The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth: I am happy to answer that at the end of my comments, but first I will take the intervention from the right hon. Member for New Forest East.]

Sir Julian Lewis: I appreciate that the Minister does not have primary responsibility for this area, but it worries me that we are hearing an awful lot about process. What I fear is really going on is that Ministers have been told at the highest possible level, by the Chancellor or a Treasury Minister, that the money for redress will not be made available and they have to take that as their starting point. She may not be able to confirm this now, but I would like an answer as to whether a conversation of that sort has taken place.

[Karin Smyth: I thank both Members for their comments. Experienced parliamentarians will know what I will be able to say. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Glasgow South West [Dr Zubir Ahmed], outlined in his letter, costs – I think that is what the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East [Seamus Logan] was alluding to – are part of the overall consideration, along with the complexity, in the work that he is leading on behalf of the Department across all Government Departments.]

 [For Julian's speech in this debate click here.]