Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng rowed in behind his colleague
(Picture: PA Archive)A cabinet minister was today forced to defend Health Secretary Matt Hancock over the Covid death toll in care homes, saying the public inquiry would “iron out” the facts.
Mr Hancock is under pressure over whether the Government put a “protective ring” around care homes at the start of the pandemic.
The Prime Minister’s former aide Dominic Cummings this week alleged that Mr Hancock gave false assurances to the PM that all patients would be tested before they were discharged from hospital.
Care industry leaders claim the alleged failure to do so contributed to the huge death toll in homes.
Today Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng rowed in behind his colleague, saying that he “fully believes” his claims over protecting the most vulnerable.
Asked on Sky News whether it was incorrect for Mr Hancock to say the “protective ring” had been thrown around care homes at the start, Mr Kwarteng replied: “Matt... was absolutely focused, right from the start of the pandemic, on saving lives.
“I fully believe him but we’ll have an inquiry and that will iron out all these facts.”
