UK ministers deny claim over medical equipment scheme

British ministers have denied an assertion by the country's most senior diplomat that they made a "political decision" to stay out of a European Union scheme for procuring medical equipment to fight the coronavirus. Downing Street said last month that Britain missed out on early procurement rounds because of a mix-up in emails from Brussels.

But Simon McDonald, permanent secretary at the foreign office, told MPs on Tuesday that diplomats in Brussels informed the government about the scheme, which Britain was entitled to be part of.

“It was a political decision. The UK mission briefed ministers about what was available, what was on offer and the decision is known,” he told the House of Commons foreign affairs committee.

At the daily press conference in Downing Street a few hours later, health secretary Matt Hancock contradicted Sir Simon's account, asserting that Britain had signed up to the scheme to procure personal protective equipment (PPE).

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“As far as I’m aware there was no political decision not to participate in that scheme,” he said. “We did receive an invitation in the department of health and it was put up to me to be asked and we joined so we are now members of that scheme. However, as far as I know that scheme hasn’t a single item of PPE.”

Death toll

Mr Hancock was speaking after Britain’s death toll in hospitals from the coronavirus rose to 17,337, an increase of 823 since Monday. Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam said that although there had been a decline in the number of people being hospitalised for the virus in London, the same was not true in other parts of the country.

Mr Hancock said a potential vaccine against coronavirus being developed in Oxford would begin trials on people from Thursday and announced extra funding for that project and another potential vaccine being developed at Imperial College London.

“In normal times, reaching this stage would take years and I’m very proud of the work taken so far. At the same time, we will invest in manufacturing capability so that if either of these vaccines safely work, we can make it available for the British people as soon as humanely possible,” he said.

Debates

The House of Commons voted on Tuesday to allow MPs to question ministers and take part in debates remotely, with a strictly limited number allowed to be physically in the chamber at any one time. Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the measures were temporary and would require another vote if they are to be renewed in mid-May.

Dominic Raab will deputise for Boris Johnson at prime minister's questions on Wednesday and both he and Labour leader Keir Starmer will be present in the chamber. Mr Johnson spoke by phone on Tuesday with US president Donald Trump and he will have an audience with Queen Elizabeth, also by phone, later this week.

Downing Street said, however, that the prime minister was continuing his recovery from coronavirus at Chequers and was not doing government work.