Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to recover the monetary cost of faulty personal protective equipment supplied from Turkey in May 2020.
Gowns and overalls were ordered by the Royal Free Trust from a new supplier in Turkey. Further supply from the manufacturer was held in country as it was already clear looking at the first batches that the quality was suspect and not suitable for use in the National Health Service.
Once the first batches were seen and the quality was identified as a concern, the United Kingdom Embassy team in Turkey and the Turkish Government helpfully stepped in and provided some Turkish Government-sourced gowns which met UK standards to make up the order.
Discussions are underway between the Royal Free Trust and the UK distributor to agree a refund or acceptable alternative product.