Investigation of PPE procurement & wasted supplies

Share
Baroness Mone investigated for her “alleged involvement” in procuring public contracts for PPE Medpro during COVID-19 pandemic

Businesswoman Baroness Mone is being investigated by the House Lords commissioner for her “alleged involvement” in procuring public contracts for PPE Medpro, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal Protection Equipment procurement 

MPs from the Labour Party have demanded that the UK government release documents concerning the decision to sign the £200m contract.

Mone allegedly received £29m from the profits of PP Medpro after she assisted in securing the company as one of the government’s VIP’s for PPE procurement.

Mone has not taken part in a vote at the House of Lords since April and has not spoken in a debate since March 2020. Mone has recently announced that she is taking a leave of absence from the Lords.

In May and June 2020, PPE Medpro was awarded two government contracts worth £203m for masks and medical gowns.

The firm was only a few months old at the time. But in December 2020, reports proved that up to £122m of PPE Medpro supplier were never used.

Procurement decisions underwent ‘due diligence checks’

“Due diligence was carried out on every single company, financial accountability sat with a senior civil servant, all procurement decisions were taken by civil servants and a team of over 400 civil servants processed referrals and undertook due diligence checks,” claimed Conservative minister Neil O’Brien.

“We already know that the so-called VIP lane for PPE enabled the shameful waste of taxpayers’ money and inexcusable profiteering by unfit and unqualified providers,” said Labour MP Angela Rayner. “We know that the government has already written off £10bn of public funds spent on PPE that was either unusable, overpriced or undelivered.”

Share

Featured Articles

Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability – The Agenda

Everything you need to know ahead of Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability in 2025 – co-located with Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

Globality Secures US$47m to Propel AI-Driven Sourcing

AI-powered procurement software leader Globality has raised US$47m in its latest funding round, bringing its total funding to US$356m, as adoption surges

Why Corporate Sustainability is the Future of Procurement

As investor and consumer focus sharpens on ESG goals, many companies are lagging behind in corporate sustainability efforts

SAVE THE DATE – Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai 2025

Procurement Strategy

SAVE THE DATE – The Global P&SC Awards 2025

Digital Procurement

SAVE THE DATE – P&SC LIVE Singapore 2025

Procurement Strategy