The Government has admitted it knew of links between Tory peer Baroness Mone and a company run by a business associate before it won more than £200million in PPE contracts.
Mone and her husband tycoon Doug Barrowman have denied they had any “role or function” in the company despite leaked WhatsApp messages appearing to show her discussing the deal.
Now Health Minister Edward Argar says his department knew of a link between the bra tycoon and PPE Medpro before the deal was sealed in 2020 via the controversial “VIP lane”.
In a response to a question by Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner, Argar said: “Departmental records reflect that a link between Baroness Mone and PPE Medpro was clear prior to contracts being awarded.”
He has also revealed that the department is in dispute with PPE Medpro over millions of surgical gowns which it bought for £122m.
The Mirror first revealed connections between her and the company, which supplied the Department of Health with millions of masks and surgical gowns, 16 months ago.
PPE Medpro was set up in 2020, weeks before it secured the first of two PPE contracts for surgical masks and gowns worth £203m. Director Anthony Page simultaneously quit as the secretary of the company that deals with Baroness Mone’s “brand”.
He is a long-time employee of Barrowman’s financial services firm Knox Group. When we asked questions about the link, Baroness Mone’s office responded: “Well done to PPE Medpro in supplying vital equipment to the NHS to fight this dreadful virus!
“Further to that, Baroness Mone has no comment as she has no role or involvement in PPE Medpro.”
Once it became public last year she had referred PPE Medpro to the Cabinet Office, Baroness Mone admitted she made the “very simple, solitary and brief step” but insisted she “did not do anything further in respect of PPE Medpro”.
In leaked WhatsApp messages Mone was allegedly asked what size of gowns were needed in the Department of Health deal and replied: “We are just about to take off in the jet. The sizes are in the order. We are waiting for the official PO [purchase order], this should come in today.”
Mone’s lawyers said she could not be expected to comment on “unknown and unattributable WhatsApp messages allegedly sent 19 months ago”.
It has been claimed that Barrowman, an offshore entrepreneur on the Isle of Man, was “part of the financial consortium that backed” PPE Medpro. But his lawyers said the allegations were “largely incorrect”.
Today Baroness Mone’s “private office” told the Mirror by email: “Same questions, same answers. Baroness Mone declared her interests and has done nothing wrong whatsoever. We’ll not be answering any more questions on this.”
Jolyon Maugham, of the Good Law Project, said: “Baroness Mone didn’t reveal her connection with PPE Medpro but the minister knew of it and decided to award the contract. Ugly all round.”
Mr Argar added: “All offers received a rigorous financial and technical assessment. The Department researched and reported on financial details of companies and background details of company directors.”
