‘Questions to be answered’ on PPE reports
Reports that a Tory peer may have benefited from Covid PPE contracts raise “far wider” questions about how the Government awarded such agreements, Labour has said.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner hit out at a “total failure of due diligence” as she asked about PPE Medpro winning contracts for personal protective equipment and “profits made possible through the company’s personal connections to ministers”.
She referred to reports in the Guardian, which suggest Conservative peer Baroness Mone may have profited from the contracts.
The Lords standards watchdog is investigating the Tory peer over the awarding of government contracts worth more than £200 million to the PPE supplier.
Lady Mone has consistently denied any “role or function” in the company, and her lawyers have previously said she is “not connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity”.
Asking an urgent question in the Commons, Ms Rayner said: “Last night, documents seen by The Guardian revealed that yet another case of taxpayers’ money was wasted, a total failure of due diligence, and a conflict of interest at the heart of Government procurement.
“In may 2020 pp em ed pro was set up and given £203 million in government contracts after a referral from a Tory peer.
“It now appears that tens of millions of pounds of that money ended up in offshore accounts connected to the individuals involved, profits made possible through the company’ s personal connections to ministersand the tories’ vip lane that was declared illegal by the High Court.
“Yet ministers are still refusing to publish correspondence relating to the award of themed pro contract because, they say, the department is engaged in a mediation process.”
The Labour deputy leader called for the Government to release records relating to the award of the PPE Medro contract, asking: “Can the minister today tell us if that mediation process has reached any outcome and what public funds have been recovered, if any?”
She added :“the questions this case raises are far wider.”
Health minister Neil O’brien said a “satisfactory agreement” has not been reached with PPE Medpro about its contract.
Representatives for Lady Mone declined to comment.