Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to the UK Government not participating in the EU procurement scheme for ventilators, said:

“Given the huge need for PPE, testing capacity and crucial medical equipment including ventilators, people will want to know why on Monday ministers were saying they ‘chosen other routes’ over joint EU procurement initiatives but now they are claiming that they missed the relevant emails. We need an urgent explanation from ministers about how they will get crucial supplies to the frontline as a matter of urgency.”