UK Parliament / Open data

Covid-19: NAO Report on Government Procurement

Proceeding contribution from Bill Esterson (Labour) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 9 December 2020. It occurred during Debate on Covid-19: NAO Report on Government Procurement.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for securing the debate. PPE Medpro was incorporated on 12 May and was awarded a contract for £122 million for single-use disposable medical robes, which it was going to import. The contract was not advertised, but the company had a link to a Conservative peer. By contrast, my constituents who own Florence Roby spent months trying to get a contract for multi-use medical robes, which can be used up to 100 times. They were given the run-around and, after months, they had to give up and lay off staff. Is that contrast not a perfect example of everything that the National Audit Office highlights as being wrong with procurement in this crisis? This is a missed opportunity to have environmentally sustainable production and value for money, with reusable, not single-use, equipment.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

685 c389WH 

Session

2019-21

Chamber / Committee

Westminster Hall
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