Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the ONS release published on 23 February 2021, entitled Experimental statistics: personal protective equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England: 15 February to 21 February 2021 and with reference to the 8.6 billion items of PPE that his Department has distributed since February 2020, what the product type categories are for the remaining PPE purchased by the Government; and how much and what proportion of that remaining PPE is usable.

We are working to publish official statistics on the stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) as soon as the figures are fully validated.

PPE must be fit for purpose, meeting the necessary essential health and safety requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2018. We have a robust process in place which ensures that orders are high quality and meet strict safety standards as per the published technical specification for PPE. When faults with PPE are found, immediate action is taken to verify the issue, notify the users and, if necessary, quarantine the stock of the products. Emergency replacements can be ordered or are distributed through the National Supply Disruption Response unit while investigations are undertaken.