Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of personal protective equipment that has been held at Heathrow Airport customs since 29 March; and what steps they are taking to ensure that any such equipment is released quickly.

It is a priority for agencies operating at the border that genuine critical and essential goods arriving in the United Kingdom are handled promptly to help speed the flow of these goods into the UK. With this aim, Border Force is working closely with the Department and National Health Service suppliers to identify goods in their supply chain and to ensure they move quickly across the border. However, it is also vital that the UK tackles border related fraud and prevents fake and substandard or dangerous goods from entering UK supply chains.