Tory Gavin Williamson has been dragged into the Government’s ‘VIP lane’ scandal after ministers admitted he referred a firm which was handed a £1.7m PPE contract.
The former Education Secretary recommended Technicare - based near his constituency, through the ‘high priority’ inbox - used to fast-track firms with links to ministers, MPs and officials.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) left Mr Williamson’s name off their original list, published in November, of ministers and MPs who referred companies to the VIP lane.
But last week a leaked document suggested 18 more firms had been referred to the high-priority path than had previously been admitted.
Now the Government has quietly updated its list to include Technicare, trading as Blyth Group Ltd - and revealed for the first time that Mr Williamson had referred them.
The Government’s use of the ‘VIP lane’ was ruled unlawful by the High Court last month, following a legal challenge brought by the Good Law Project and campaign group EveryDoctor.
At least 51 firms are understood to have been handed more than £4 billion worth of PPE contracts - all without competition - after being referred to the VIP lane.
DHSC documents show £673m worth of PPE purchased by the government - some of which was obtained through the VIP lane - was not suitable for use in health settings.
A further £750m worth of PPE and equipment was not used before its expiry date.
Jolyon Maugham, Director of the Good Law Project, which published the new list of companies, said: “The Government has come clean about one of the 18 VIPs it misled the High Court, Parliament and the NAO about.
“If it had even the smallest care for democracy it would now tell the truth about the other 17."
The Department said: “This listing was added after the original publication. Following a review of our records, we discovered this offer was in fact processed through the High Priority route.”
Housing Secretary Michael Gove, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps are among the 48 people or groups who referred companies to the fast track.
Blyth Group’s registered office in Wolverhampton is seven minutes’ drive from Mr Williamson’s constituency office in Codsall, to the north west of the city.
Some suppliers may not have been aware they were in the “VIP lane” for PPE deals, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on their part.
Technicare, trading as Blyth Group, was awarded a £1.73m contract to supply the government with disposable aprons in June 2020.
According to contracts published in September, months after the deal was struck, the aprons were sourced through WeiFang Green Packaging Products Co Ltd, based in Shandong, China.
Blyth Group, owned by Rob and Netta Hubball, is a building and maintenance contractor and a kit sponsor of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.
The firm has said its expertise in the construction industry left it well placed to supply protective equipment to both the NHS and Wolverhampton City Council.
Group Director Robbie Hubball - the son of Robert and Antionetta - said in May 2020 - a month before the contract was awarded: “We as Blyth Group have always been a multidisciplinary business dedicated to delivering our service with the utmost professionalism.
“The opportunity to support our frontline workers and provide PPE and medical supplies was an easy decision to make.”
In 2017, Mrs Hubball, 57, and daughter Hayley, 25 co-founded the Luminaire Clinic, which produces L’abu Skin, a vegan skincare range.
The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor UK took legal action over contracts awarded to pest control firm PestFix and the hedge fund Ayanda Capital.
Mrs Justice O'Farrell last month found the VIP Lane process was “in breach of the obligation of equal treatment… the illegality is marked by this judgment."
But she found both of the companies' offers "justified priority treatment on its merits" and were "very likely" to have been awarded contracts even without the VIP lane.
