ANOTHER TOP TORY IN VIP PPE SCANDAL
Gavin Williamson gave company fast-lane treatment
tOrY Gavin Williamson has been dragged into the Government’s “VIp lane” scandal after ministers admitted he referred a firm later handed a £1.7million contract.
The former Education Secretary put forward Technicare – based in Wolverhampton, minutes from his constituency office in Codsall – via the “high priority” inbox.
In November the Department for Health and Social Care left Mr Williamson off its list of ministers, MPs and officials who referred PPE firms in the same way.
But documents leaked last week suggested 18 more companies had been pushed through the high-priority path than was previously admitted.
Now the Government has quietly updated its list to include Technicare, trading as Blyth Group Ltd – and revealed Mr Williamson referred it.
Blyth Group is a building and maintenance contractor.
Government use of the VIP lane was ruled unlawful by the High Court last month, after a challenge by the Good Law Project and campaign group EveryDoctor.
Jolyon Maugham, director of the Good Law Project said: “The Government has come clean about one of the 18 VIPs it misled the High Court, Parliament and
the NAO [National
Audit Office] about. If it had even the smallest care for democracy it would now tell the truth about the other 17.”
The DHSC said: “Following a review, we discovered this offer was processed through the High Priority route.”
At least 51 firms are understood to have been handed over £4billion of PPE deals, without competition.
DHSC documents show £673m of PPE bought by the Government – some through the VIP lane – was not suitable for healthcare use.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps are among those who made referrals.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Blyth group.
It has said its expertise in the construction industry left it well placed to supply protective gear.