Johnson government ‘wasted’ £10 billion on Covid PPE

Channel 4 News Channel 4 News — 12min

The latest Covid inquiry report has found that billions of pounds the UK spent on personal protective equipment were wasted.

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Chair Baroness Hallett was also damning about the VIP lane for PPE procurement, saying it should have been obvious that giving favourable treatment to suppliers with connections to the Conservative government resulted in it paying more for kit than from normal suppliers.

The inquiry found the VIP lane for PPE contracts created an inherent bias, and unfairness.

They were more expensive and had more performance issues than equipment bought the normal way and the practice should not be repeated.

One VIP lane deal with PPE Medpro, a firm linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone, was not mentioned due to ongoing legal proceedings.

However, to the disappointment of many victims' families, it did not find evidence of cronyism or corruption by ministers.
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