They spend billions of taxpayers’ money and then say that to provide details “would exceed the disproportionate cost of £850.”
The Government admits that 1.9 billion items of stock manufactured in China and supplied to the NHS as high grade do not meet the correct level of protection and are in the ‘do not supply’ category and fails to answer questions on the impact on safety and restitution. And the refusal to breakdown details of contracts for 1 billion China-made lateral flow tests and PPE because of “disproportionate cost” is subterfuge that beggars belief.
Lord Bethell, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2327):
Question Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the investigation by BBC News, published on 28 July, which found that one million masks manufactured in China and supplied to the NHS as high grade did not meet the correct level of protection, (2) how fake personal protective equipment (PPE) entered the UK supply chain, (3) the number of (a) staff, and (b) patients, that were given faulty PPE, (4) the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as a result of using such faulty PPE, (5) the amount of money that government departments have spent on faulty PPE, and (6) the options for seeking restitution and compensation from the suppliers of faulty PPE. (HL2327)
Tabled on: 18 August 2021
Answer:
Lord Bethell:
For all personal protective equipment (PPE), certification is checked through a technical assurance process before the products are released for distribution. Following information received from the National Health Service in February, we quarantined and recalled the affected products and reviewed the technical certification.
As part of our investigation, we commissioned the British Standards Institution to test the masks. While the findings stated the affected masks failed to meet to FFP3 requirements, they passed all the testing requirements for an FFP2 respirator. The World Health Organization recommends the use of N95 or FFP2 respirators for health workers performing aerosol-generating procedures, wearers should have been afforded protection. These masks are not recommended to be worn by patients. We have commissioned an independent root cause analysis investigation and we await the outcome.
As of 10 June, 1.9 billion items of stock were in the ‘do not supply’ category. This is equivalent to 6.2% of purchased volume with an estimated value of £2.8 billion. We are considering options to repurpose and recycle items in this category which ensures safety and value for money. Discussions with suppliers are ongoing.
Date and time of answer: 15 Sep 2021 at 15:28.
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Lord Bethell, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2326):
Question Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 2 August (HL128), whether they will now collect information centrally about the personal protective equipment (PPE) procured centrally; and what is their estimate of (1) the “disproportionate cost” of collecting information about the companies involved in the supply chain, and (2) the total combined cost to public funds of PPE and lateral flow devices. (HL2326)
Tabled on: 18 August 2021
Answer:
Lord Bethell:
While information on personal protective equipment (PPE) is published on the Government’s Contracts Finder service, there are currently no plans to collect or publish data on sub-contractors and intermediaries.
Collating the information requested would involve detailed analysis of 339 individual contracts and detailed re-validation of purchase order and invoice data. This would exceed the disproportionate cost of £850.
The total spend for PPE during the financial year 2020/21 was £14.7 billion, which included the costs of freight, logistics and warehousing. The total cost of lateral flow devices is not held in the format requested.
Date and time of answer: 15 Sep 2021 at 15:29.
