Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on Public Procurement: Value for Money on 25 March 2021, and the commitment to investigate reports that Deloitte consultants are drafting responses for Ministers, if he will investigate (a) the delay in answering Question 149740 on Care Homes: Coronavirus tabled on 5 February 2021 and (b) other parliamentary questions referencing Deloitte.
The Department’s contract with Deloitte included a general clause to provide support to civil servants in responding to Written Questions. Deloitte consultants have not been directly responsible for drafting replies.
We take parliamentary scrutiny incredibly seriously and it is fundamentally important that hon. Members are provided with accurate and timely information to enable them to hold the Government to account. We have been working rapidly to provide all Members with accurate answers despite an unprecedented volume of Written Questions during the pandemic.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 25 March 2021 to Question 149740.