Conclusion 17

In April 2020 the Treasury committed £4 billion of funding for the UK’s PPE demand up until the end of July 2020. This was an initial estimate that may since have changed.43 We questioned the Cabinet Office on whether the national PPE contracts had been value 34 C&AG’s Report, para 3.4 35 Qq 5–7 36 Q 5 37 Q 7 38 Q 26 39 Q 33 40 C&AG’s Report, Figure 8 41 C&AG’s Report, Readying the NHS and adult social care in England for COVID-19, Session 2019–21, HC 367, 12 June 2020, para 20 42 Committee of Public Accounts, Eighth Report of Session 2019–21, NHS capital expenditure and financial management, HC 344, 8 July 2020, para 15 43 C&AG’s Report, Figure 3 Whole of Government Response to COVID-19 15 for money. The Cabinet Office told us that the per unit cost it paid for PPE and ventilators was higher than it would have liked. However, it considered that it has been value for money when compared to not having enough PPE.44 Support for businesses