‘Paltry’ £18m recovered from the PPE fraudsters

MINISTERS were told last night to ‘get serious’ about recovering taxpayers’ money lost to fraudulent PPE contacts after it was revealed a paltry £18million had so far been retrieved.

This represents less than 3 per cent of the estimated £630million that was spent on potentially fraudulent contracts for personal protective equipment used in the Covid crisis.

In total, some £12.6billion was spent procuring PPE, with as much as five per cent of contracts involving fraud or error, according to the Commons public accounts committee.

John O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘We all know that the Government had to act quickly to supply PPE when the pandemic started, but taxpayers are paying a heavy price.

‘Ministers must get serious and by tackling the billions lost on PPE fraud.’

Junior health minister Will Quince revealed the £18million figure recovered by the Health Department in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Liberal Democrat Daisy Cooper, who said: ‘These pitiful attempts to recoup the money lost are adding insult to injury.’