Patel faces Commons queries over PPE deal
HOME SECRETARY Priti Patel will face the Commons over allegations of lobbying a fellow minister last year and trying to sway the award of a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract worth £20 million.
Documents show that the Patel wrote to cabinet office minister Michael Gove in May last year as an attempt to secure a PPE deal for healthcare firm Pharmaceuticals Direct Ltd (PDL).
“I would be most grateful if you could review this matter urgently,” she said in the letter. It has come to light as part of a legal challenge by Good Law Project, a campaign group which took the government to court over not publishing PPE contracts.
Health secretary Matt Hancock reportedly replied to Patel saying the masks offered by the firm were “not suitable for use in the NHS”. The possible deal was worth £20m.
However, weeks later in July, PDL was awarded a £102.7m contract to supply a different type of mask. Good Law is taking legal action over this contract, media reports said.
Patel’s alleged link in PDL is Conservative activist Samir Jassal. According to his social media profile, he worked as her adviser between 2014 and 2015 and describes her as a “good friend”.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds demanded an inquiry into the matter by cabinet secretary Simon Case.
It is claimed that Patel did not have any interest in the PPE deal until contacted by Jassal, suggesting she did it as a favour to her friend.
“This would represent a glaring and flagrant breach of the ministerial code,” Labour said. The party was referring to the set of rules for ministers’ conduct which says ministers must ensure that no conflict arises between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.
Thomas-Symonds was scheduled to put down an Urgent Question in this matter, which would require Patel to give a full account to MPs.
Defying the allegations, Patel’s spokesman said she acted as she should have.
“The home secretary rightly followed up representations made to her about the vital supply of PPE,” he said. “During a time of national crisis, failure to do so would have been a dereliction of duty.”
Jassal and PDL are yet to comment on the matter.