Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the procurement process for personal protective equipment purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular the contract awarded to PPE Medpro.

The Government has stated that it will review the response to procurement during the pandemic and learn lessons. PPE Medpro Ltd were awarded its contracts at the height of the pandemic in 2020. The new Procurement Bill will introduce new, transparent arrangements for how procurement should be conducted in an emergency, such as the pandemic. A new system for declaration of ‘when action is necessary to protect life’ will ensure confidence that contracts are let appropriately. These new rules will allow buyers to conduct a rapid informal competition in situations of extreme urgency.

All contracts, including those awarded in exceptional circumstances, are subject to the Department’s contract management operating standards, which include a range of governance requirements.