Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Transparency in Government Contracts: Covid-19

Thursday 11 February 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial concerns raised about government breaches of procurement law during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Government admits to spending 500 million on PPE contracts without formal tender processes, citing the need for speed and global demand.
  • Labour MPs questioned the systemic issues of transparency and accountability in the Government's procurement practices.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bell Ribeiro-Addy Lab Clapham and Brixton Hill
Standards & Ethics
Context

The Good Law Project exposed a breach of procurement law, questioning the transparency and accountability in £500 million-worth of taxpayers' money spent on PPE deals with Tory donors.

Question

I am concerned about last week's admission that the Government breached procurement law by failing to publish details of COVID-19 contracts. The Good Law Project highlighted a lack of compliance with transparency obligations, and £500 million was spent on PPE deals with companies linked to Tory donors. Does this reflect a failed pandemic response, damaging trust in government?

Answer from Michael Gove

I do not quite agree. It is fair to say we need to be vigilant with public money and contract awarding, but 99.5% of goods sourced for PPE were operational and effective. During the pandemic, procurement was done at speed based on suggestions from across the House, including Labour MPs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the breach of procurement law or damage to public trust mentioned in the question.

How: Welcoming A New Member, Highlighting Speed And Effectiveness

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Q2 Bell Ribeiro-Addy Lab Clapham and Brixton Hill
Taxation Standards & Ethics
Context

The Institute for Government reported that 99% of the Government's COVID contracts did not go out to tender, raising concerns about procurement practices.

Question

The Institute for Government highlighted that 99% of the Government's covid contracts had not gone through a formal tender process. Does this reflect a systemic issue with transparency and accountability? Will the Minister commit to winding down the extensive use of these extraordinary procurement powers?

Answer from Michael Gove

Again, I welcome a new member to the shadow Cabinet Office team and look forward to working with her. We want best practice in all procurement, as highlighted in the Boardman report. During the pandemic, expedited practices were used for PPE due to global demand. Speed was prioritised based on suggestions from across the House.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the question about winding down emergency procurement powers or providing a date.

How: Welcoming New Member, Highlighting Best Practice

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Q3 Fleur Anderson Lab Putney
Taxation Standards & Ethics
Context

The Institute for Government reported that 99% of the Government's COVID contracts did not go out to tender, raising concerns about procurement practices.

Question

The Institute for Government highlighted that 99% of the Government's covid contracts had not gone through a formal tender process. Does this reflect a systemic issue with transparency and accountability? Will the Minister commit to winding down the extensive use of these extraordinary procurement powers?

Answer from Michael Gove

Again, I welcome a new member to the shadow Cabinet Office team and look forward to working with her. We want best practice in all procurement, as highlighted in the Boardman report. During the pandemic, expedited practices were used for PPE due to global demand. Speed was prioritised based on suggestions from across the House.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the question about winding down emergency procurement powers or providing a date.

How: Welcoming New Member, Highlighting Best Practice

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