02Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Figures reveal PPE worth £2.7bn bought for NHS going unused

Figures reveal PPE worth £2.7bn bought for NHS going unused

Parliamentary news
The Government has been accused of “extreme negligence” after it has emerged that almost one in five items in its stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) are not usable, with billions of pounds having gone down the drain. A written parliamentary question tabled by Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Wendy Chamberlain, has revealed that the Department for Health and Social Care has identified 3.4 billion units of PPE as “potential excess stock”. This would represent £2.2 billion of expenditure on items without demand. Of 6.96 billion items of PPE that are not currently provided to frontline services, 1.2 billion of these (17.2%) are deemed to be not fit for use. These items were purchased for £458 million. Meanwhile, storage of all PPE - usable or otherwise - is costing the taxpayer…
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01Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Taxpayer left with £10bn bill for ‘criminal’ PPE waste

Taxpayer left with £10bn bill for ‘criminal’ PPE waste

Parliamentary news
The National Audit Office has reported that last year the Department of Health and Social Care had £1.3bn of spending not signed off by the Treasury whilst almost £10bn was wasted on unsuitable and unusable PPE. The damning report states that: “The Department was not able to manage adequately some of the elevated risks, resulting in significant losses for the taxpayer.” Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “Losing £10 billion of taxpayers' money on PPE isn’t just careless, it’s criminal. “With billions being lost to fraudsters, and now this, it’s plain to see that this Tory government cannot be trusted with our money. "Sajid Javid must now come before Parliament, explain how his government ended up throwing good money after bad and what he's going…
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19Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Benefits not keeping pace with the cost of living crisis

Benefits not keeping pace with the cost of living crisis

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the Government has confirmed they will up-rate all benefits by just 3.1% rather than using April's expected 6% rate, Liberal Democrat Welfare and Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP said: “In the face of spiralling energy bills, the Conservatives are leaving some of the most vulnerable worse off. In the same breath, they are outrageously writing off billions in stolen Covid payments and crooked PPE contracts. “This callous Government is happy to let their mates off the hook while taking money out of peoples’ pockets while the country is struggling with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. “Ministers must immediately reverse this decision and bring forward a rise in benefits in line with April’s inflation figure - expected to reach 6%.”
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18Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Report suggesting contract favours for those with “direct line to Ministers” demands inquiry

Report suggesting contract favours for those with “direct line to Ministers” demands inquiry

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have demanded a timetable for an inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic following the publication of an NAO report which revealed that Ministers agreed £18bn worth of supplies and services which bypassed usual standards for procurement. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “It is utterly galling the Government has sidestepped accountability and transparency rules. In no world is it fair that bids with a direct line to Ministers were ten times more successful. “The Tories have left themselves wide open to serious and legitimate allegations that they have chosen to line the pockets of friends and donors. “The British people deserve clear, honest answers. Now more than ever we need a timetable for the inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic.”
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21Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: PM must protect lives and livelihoods ahead of second wave

Davey: PM must protect lives and livelihoods ahead of second wave

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's comments that the United Kingdom is "now seeing a second wave" of COVID-19, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “People will be incredibly worried following the Prime Minister's comments confirming the UK is heading towards a second wave of coronavirus. “Boris Johnson must now take immediate steps to improve our failing test and trace system as an urgent priority. It is also vital Ministers ensure the NHS is prepared, with health and care workers having access to all the PPE they need. “With further disruption to people's businesses and livelihoods ahead, those who have been excluded from support or received very little will be especially anxious. Now is the time for the Government to make more economic support available by extending the furlough…
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07Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems: Ministers are playing fast and loose with safety of NHS staff

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that fifty million face masks bought by the Government will now not be used by NHS and care staff because of safety concerns, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: "The news that fifty million masks are not safe for our NHS and care staff to use is yet another staggering error made by this Government. Not only does it mean millions of pounds of taxpayers money being thrown down the drain, but it shows just how Ministers are playing fast and loose when it comes to keeping our NHS staff safe. "The Government's procurement of personal protective equipment has been shocking from the very beginning of the pandemic. It should not need to be said that Ministers should prioritise protecting the staff…
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15May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must get a grip on care homes coronavirus crisis

Parliamentary news
Responding to the ONS figures released this morning showing over 12,500 care home residents have died from coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The figures released today showing that more than 12,500 care home residents have died of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic are incredibly tragic and will horrify the British public. Even worse, the vast majority of these tragic deaths took place in a care home itself, not at a hospital where these people could have received critical care. “The virus has swept through care homes right across England and Wales, where our most vulnerable were being looked after. The Prime Minister must come forward and explain how this dreadful situation has been allowed to happen under his watch. “The Liberal Democrats and…
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08May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Give transport workers PPE now, says cross-party group

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are leading a cross-party effort to ensure Ministers renew guidelines and urgently upscale PPE for all transport workers in preparation for exiting the government enforced lockdown. Writing to the Transport Secretary and the Mayor of London, the cross-party group of parliamentarians have warned there have been too many reports of workers “taking matters into their own hands” by making their own face masks disinfecting buses and carriages themselves. In London alone, at least 26 transport workers have died from Covid-19 since the outbreak began. Thousands of health and social care workers – essential workers – rely on transport workers to get to and from work. Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson and Richmond MP, Sarah Olney, coordinated the letter. She said: “The Coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat. No…
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13Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government not doing enough to provide PPE to frontline staff

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Home Secretary's comments about failures to roll out the correct equipment to protect frontline workers in the NHS and social care, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Throughout the crisis, Liberal Democrats have been supportive of all the efforts to beat coronavirus. We continue to agree with the experts that people must stay at home to save lives.  “Yet over the last few days, it has become clear that the Government is failing to deliver on key promises to NHS and social care workers, especially over supplies of protective equipment. Ministers look in danger of losing control. “We simply cannot send tens of thousands of frontline workers to care for people as they fight this virus without adequate protection.  “The lack of sufficient protective equipment is…
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07Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must strengthen guidance on PPE in social care settings

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports in the Health Service Journal that plans are in place to deliver 30 million pieces of personal protective equipment to social care providers, Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care said: “Many social care staff, who are on the frontline of this crisis, will feel a huge sense of relief at the prospect of finally receiving personal protective equipment. “However, the suggestion from Ministers that supplies should be prioritised for those who currently have "close unavoidable contact with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases" is like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. We should be doing everything possible to stop transmission of the virus into care settings in the first place, as well as onward transmission when a patient already has the…
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