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Case

Scrutinising PPE Procurement

This legal campaign helped draw wide attention to the institutionalisation of cronyism in the VIP lane.
The Court found that the VIP lane, through which Ayanda and Pestfix, won their contracts, was illegal.

Only with good procurement practice, can we safeguard the lives of the public and healthcare workers.

And yet, we already know of three vast – and inexplicable – procurement contracts for PPE. £108m went to a tiny pest control company with net assets of £18,000, Pestfix. Another £108m went to a modestly sized confectioner in Northern Ireland, Clandeboye Agencies. And another contract, worth £252m, was awarded to Ayanda, an opaque private fund owned through a tax haven. There is no evidence that either of these companies had previously had any experience in supplying PPE.

The more we scratch the surface about the PPE contracts awarded by Government, the more serious questions that arise. Enormous amounts of public money have been dished out, seemingly without any advertising or competitive tendering process. To protect public funds and to try and prevent further PPE procurement failures, we intend to get answers.

Along with EveryDoctor, we have instructed leading procurement lawyers Jason Coppell QC and Brendan McGurk and Rook Irwin Sweeney. If you are able to donate to the crowdfunded legal challenge you can do so by clicking here.

Timeline:
10th June 2020: We issued a Pre Action Protocol Letter over the Government’s decision to award a PPE contract to PestFix, available here.
29th June 2020: We issued a Pre Action Protocol Letter over the Government’s decision to award a PPE contract to Clandeboye, available here.
13th July 2020: We issued a Pre Action Protocol Letter over the Government’s decision to award a PPE contract to Ayanda, available here.
Our application for judicial review is available here.
Acknowledgement of Service/ Summary Grounds of Resistance is available here.
17th November 2020: We are granted permission on PestFix, Ayanda and Clandeboye
22nd April 2021: The skeleton argument for the urgent hearing in this case over the lack of disclosure of evidence is available here.
29th April 2021: Our skeleton argument for the specific disclosure hearing is available here.
18th May 2021: Our skeleton argument for the High Court hearing is available here.

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