Emergency Covid Contracts Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Emergency Covid Contracts

Jim Shannon Excerpts
Tuesday 29th June 2021

(2 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julia Lopez Portrait Julia Lopez
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I am enjoying your zest today, Mr Speaker.

The hon. Gentleman raised with me the importance of onshore manufacturing capacity in Westminster Hall last week. I have asked for a briefing on the issue and shall get back to him, because he raised an important issue about the extent to which we have key manufacturing capacity in this country. Project Defend in the Department for International Trade aims to ensure that we have the capacity that we need.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
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I thank the Minister and the Government for their massive and positive response to covid-19, and for a vaccine roll-out that is second to none. Has the Minister made an assessment of the sustainability of the Government’s use of emergency covid-19 contracts with large firms, and will she confirm whether the contracts have been beneficial to the UK, given the potential and alleged anomalies that occurred at their procurement?