Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to (a) respond to and (b) process offers to supply personal protective equipment from (i) British and (ii) foreign suppliers.

All offers receive an immediate automated response and follow up contact once the team have assessed the offer.

We are identifying new sources of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas markets, diversifying the United Kingdom’s sources of supply and strengthening the UK’s supply chains for the long term.

Department for International Trade and Foreign and Commonwealth Office teams around the world are seeking new supplies, lobbying governments to lift export restrictions and helping get crucial deliveries back to the UK.

The Government has processed over 23,000 cases from over 15,000 suppliers and has contracted with 150 of them. In addition, we are in contact with over 350 potential manufacturers and have signed contracts to manufacture over 2 billion items of PPE through UK-based manufacturers. More new manufacturers are expected to commit to producing PPE in the coming weeks.