The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was found to have a stockpile of almost 4 billion items that are not needed, many of which will be burned, which has raised environmental concerns.
The Department remains in dispute with many suppliers it entered into contract with over the quality of the PPE provided, but it accepts that some surplus stock will end up being incinerated.
In its report published today, the PAC found there was little sign of the government taking action against potentially fraudulent suppliers despite DHSC’s estimate that as much as 5 per cent of PPE expenditure may have involved fraud.
Following the start of the pandemic, some £3.5bn of Covid contracts were awarded without tender to companies with links to the Conservative Party. Last year, Labour accused the government of covering up the deals after then-Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, now health secretary, refused to publish meeting minutes and correspondence relating...