Public Spending Value for Money 2023-12-19
2023-12-19
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from concerns about the efficiency of public expenditure in ensuring value for money.
What steps he is taking to ensure value for money in public spending. Last year, Government officials admitted that they were paying companies to burn and destroy 15,000 pallets of unusable personal protective equipment each month. Does the Treasury have any idea how much wasted PPE has gone up in smoke this year?
Value for money is at the heart of Government spending. During the pandemic, our priority was to get PPE to the frontline as quickly as possible despite an unprecedented global increase in demand. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to seek to recover fraud losses.
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Assessment & feedback
Amount of wasted PPE destroyed this year
During The Pandemic Our Priority Was Absolutely Clear: To Get Ppe To The Frontline As Quickly As Possible.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question stems from concerns about fraudulent practices in PPE procurement during the pandemic, with significant losses to public funds.
Throughout the pandemic, people across the country made extraordinary and heart-wrenching sacrifices, yet as they did so, a small minority were instead making millions of pounds by ripping off the taxpayer. With conflicts of interest, defective goods and exorbitant profit margins, it has been greedy and grubby and this Conservative Government have enabled it all. As taxpayers, we want our money back, so Labour will create a covid corruption commissioner to chase down every pound we can. Does the Minister have any idea just how angry people are that our country has been taken for a ride?
The hypocrisy is absolutely astonishing. During the pandemic the shadow Chancellor wrote that the strategy of turning to big-name UK manufacturers was not delivering the supply that was needed. Yes, we procured things very fast—we needed to do that to get things to the frontline—and we are trying to get back every single penny that was lost to fraud.
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Assessment & feedback
Anger among taxpayers over PPE procurement fraud
The Hypocrisy Is Absolutely Astonishing.
During The Pandemic The Shadow Chancellor Wrote...
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Concern over significant losses to public funds due to fraudulent PPE procurement practices during the pandemic, amounting to £15.9 billion.
The Minister's response really does not reflect the seriousness of the situation. This is not just one bad apple; this is a rotten culture that goes to the very top, with £8.7 billion lost on wasted PPE and £7.2 billion lost to covid fraud. That is £15.9 billion of public money gone at a time when people and public services are struggling. Can the Minister remind the House who was Chancellor at the time that all of this was signed off?
I do not know what more I can add to my last answer. This was done very quickly, at pace, because we were desperate to get PPE to the frontline as quickly as possible. We have set up initiatives to recoup money from fraudulent activity including the Public Sector Fraud Authority.
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Assessment & feedback
Name of Chancellor during procurement process
I Do Not Know What More I Can Add
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Concerns about the efficiency of public expenditure in ensuring value for money.
What steps he is taking to ensure value for money in public spending. Last year, Government officials admitted that they were paying companies to burn and destroy 15,000 pallets of unusable personal protective equipment each month. Does the Treasury have any idea how much wasted PPE has gone up in smoke this year?
Value for money is at the heart of Government spending and it is one of the key considerations for any decision involving the use of public funds across Government. As Chief Secretary, I am committed to tackling waste and promoting productivity across the public sector.
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Assessment & feedback
Steps taken to prevent waste
Value For Money Is At The Heart...
Response accuracy