Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that when possible the NHS procures personal protective equipment from local small and medium-sized enterprises.

Lord Deighton is leading the Government efforts of British industry to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health and social care sectors. We have identified opportunities and sourced new supply channels for materials to make PPE at pace, enabling new manufacturing to commence. The Government is also working to support the scale-up of engineering efforts for small companies capable of contributing to supplies.

More than 30 deals have been struck with companies, including several small and medium enterprises, to manufacture and deliver PPE in the United Kingdom. We are also working with over 175 new suppliers to deliver at the scale and pace the UK requires. Around 20% of all PPE will be manufactured in the UK by the end of the year.