UK made “political decision” not to join EU procurement scheme, top civil servant tells Labour MP

The UK made a “political decision” not to join the EU procurement scheme for personal protective equipment and ventilators, contrary to previous claims, a top civil servant has said.

When the government was criticised in March for not participating in the scheme – which the UK was invited to do despite having left the EU – it blamed a “communication problem”.

A government spokesperson March 26th claimed that “the UK did not receive an invitation in time to join in four joint procurements in response to the coronavirus pandemic”.

But Labour MP Chris Bryant questioned the Foreign Office’s chief civil servant Sir Simon McDonald during a session of the foreign affairs select committee this afternoon.

Appearing to contradict the No 10 claim that they had missed the email, McDonald said: “It was a political decision… Ministers were briefed on what was available, what was on offer by the mission in Brussels and the decision is known.”

This account of events goes against the comment of Michael Gove to the BBC’s Andrew Marr on March 29th, when the Cabinet Office minister said “there was some confusion over our involvement in that scheme”.

Commenting on the civil servant response, Bryant tweeted: “Following the FCO answer to me earlier it seems that not content with refusing to take part in a mass EU purchase of desperately needed vital equipment out of a fit of [Eurosceptic] pique the government has repeatedly told fibs in a sad attempt to cover its tracks.

“It beggars belief that they deliberately, intentionally, with forethought and against advice decided not to take part. And that they trotted out every excuse in the book when they realised they’d messed up.

“I know the coronavirus epidemic was never going to be easy to manage, but this level of incompetence and chicanery should make us angry”.

Asked about this issue in the coronavirus press conference today, Matt Hancock issued a denial, saying: “As far as I’m aware, there was no political decision not to participate in that scheme.”

Responding to the conflicting reports, Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: “First we were told the government missed an email invitation to join the EU procurement scheme.

“Then we were told the decision not to take part was a political decision. Now we are told that the government did sign up to the scheme.

“This is not a trivial matter. Ministers needs to explain what has happened and who is speaking for the government on this matter.”

The UK’s problems with the supply of PPE has drawn widespread criticism, with the TUC today calling for a public inquiry into the “grotesque” failure to provide frontline workers with adequate equipment.

Update, April 22nd: McDonald has issued a clarification letter, telling the committee that the “facts of the situation are as perviously set out” and there was “an initial communication problem”.

In response to the news, Bryant tweeted: “I don’t believe a word of this. And I’m told COBRA discussed the delicate question of whether to take part with Hancock in the chair.”

Here is the exchange on this issue at this afternoon’s Foreign Affairs Committee. pic.twitter.com/7nBrtmjWzR

— Nick Gutteridge (@nick_gutteridge) April 21, 2020