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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Felicity Lawrence and Rob Evans

Matt Hancock failed to disclose messages with Owen Paterson over Covid contracts

Matt Hancock Owen Paterson Randox NAO Covid-19 DHSC Meg Hillier
Matt Hancock
Matt Hancock was health secretary at the time of the first Covid lockdown. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, failed to notify his officials about private messages he exchanged with disgraced Conservative MP Owen Paterson, a healthcare firm’s paid lobbyist, an official watchdog has disclosed.

In a critical report, the National Audit Office (NAO) concluded that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) did not record properly why it awarded contracts worth nearly £500m to the healthcare firm, Randox.

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