Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department had a contractual relationship with TAEG Energy Ltd before the awarding of a contract to provide hand sanitiser in April 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department has two contracts with TAEG Energy Ltd for the delivery of hand sanitiser products. The first has a value of £5 million; the second £53 million.
TAEG Energy Ltd were evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing; compliance with minimum product and technical specifications; and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental terms and conditions.
The Department’s procurement records show that the Department has had no contracts with TAEG Energy Ltd over the last five years prior to the award of the contracts for hand sanitiser.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the document entitled, Review: does the use of face masks in the general population make a difference to spread of infection, that was presented to SAGE on 9 April 2020, if he will (a) publish that review and (b) the evidence for it.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Transparency, including on the evidence informing the views of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), is important in helping to maintain the public’s trust and helping to grow understanding of the disease, while also helping to explain how advice to the Government is being formed. The Government is working to publish evidence documents and studies which have formed the basis of SAGE’s discussions and advice to Ministers regularly and will publish more evidence in the coming weeks.