Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the event that any suppliers of faulty PPE are required to return public funds to the Department of Health and Social Care, they will publish what monies have been returned; by whom; how much has been recouped; and whether any evidence of criminality has been exposed and being prosecuted.

The Department is committed to transparency and a total of funds recovered may be published in future. However, settlements arising from the supply of faulty personal protective equipment are commercially sensitive. Therefore we will be unable to provide details of individual settlements. Where losses are incurred, these will be recorded in the Department’s Financial Losses Register and all such sums will be included in the Annual Report and Accounts. If evidence of criminal activity is suspected, the Department will support relevant agencies in such investigations.