Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will establish a full public inquiry into the Government's awarding of contracts during the covid-19 outbreak.

The National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, has published its report on Government procurement activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as outlined in the statement on gov.uk.

The Government has always been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. This will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. For now the Government is focused entirely on responding to the pandemic and saving lives, particularly as the country is experiencing a second wave of the virus.