Government PPE Contracts

Debate between Dawn Butler and Will Quince

Tuesday 6th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

I am keen not to get into a political slanging match on this point, but my hon. Friend is right that all Members on both sides of the House were receiving multiple emails from people who, as my hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) said, were panicking because they wanted to ensure that we procured PPE as quickly as possible.

Colleagues across Government and beyond worked day and night, taking tough decisions, to keep our country safe. Those efforts secured billions of items.

[Dawn Butler]

On civil servants, will the Minister give way?

[Will Quince]

No. I will come to civil servants in a moment.

--- Later in debate ---

[Will Quince]

I have given way equally to both sides so far in this debate. I have some reluctance to give way to Members who tell others to sit down while they are speaking or making interventions.

[Dawn Butler]

But are you giving way?

[Will Quince]

I said I will, and I will.

The efforts of civil servants secured billions of items and, by June 2020, we had obtained 30,000 ventilators and delivered more than 17.5 billion items of PPE to protect frontline workers. What does this mean in practice? It means that we were able to keep our NHS open throughout the pandemic; emergency operations went ahead; and once some of the toughest restrictions were eased, relatives could visit their loved ones in and around care homes.

[Dawn Butler]

I want to take the Minister back to where he mentioned civil servants. According to the Government’s own records, civil servants were begging Ministers not to give contracts to some of these companies because they had red flags and they were overcharging the Government—we are talking about almost double the price they agreed to be paid. This was an extra cost of £50 million to taxpayers. Civil servants were begging the Government not to act in the corrupt manner that they did.

--- Later in debate ---

[Will Quince]

I thank the hon. Lady for that response, and I know the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will soon begin that dialogue with her.

[Dawn Butler]

Will the Minister give way?

[Will Quince]

I have given way once before—

[Will Quince]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

[Dawn Butler]

rose—

[Will Quince]

I have given way to the hon. Lady once already, as I promised I would, and I have been generous with my time, so I will not give way again.