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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Helen Corbett

Not having time to scrutinise PPE contracts ‘source of frustration’ – Barclay

PPE Baroness Hallett Doug Barrowman Heather Hallett Michelle Mone Steve Barclay Lady Mone the UK Covid-19 Pandemic
Steve Barclay was chief secretary to the Treasury from 2020 to 2021 (Victoria Jones/PA) - (PA Archive)

A former Conservative minister has said that not having enough time to scrutinise PPE contracts was a “source of frustration” in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steve Barclay, who was chief secretary to the Treasury from 2020 to 2021, answered questions about the huge increases in the department’s spending in the early months of the pandemic to secure contracts.

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