The UK Government has “absolutely not” given up on recovering the £145.6 million from a company linked to Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone.
PPE Medpro – a consortium led by Baroness Mone’s husband Doug Barrowman – was ordered to pay back the sum after being sued by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) after it provided 25 million “faulty” gowns during the pandemic.
See also: Inside the extraordinary rise and catastrophic fall of the 'lying baroness' Michelle Mone
Speaking to a group of Scottish journalists in Downing Street on Monday, the Prime Minister said the Government was determined to recoup the cash from the firm, which entered administration earlier this month.
“We’ve been really clear about getting our money back, whether it’s Michelle Mone or anybody else, and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, was very clear about this in opposition,” Sir Keir Starmer said.
“We intend to get as much of our money back as possible, because that is taxpayers’ money and we want it back. And we’ll go after every penny of it.”
The peer, the Prime Minister said, was not currently sitting in the House of Lords, but he added: “We’re not going to give up on the money, no, absolutely not.”
The firm was initially ordered to pay just shy of £123 million to the Government, with interest – at a rate of 8% per year – pushing the price to £145.6 million.
A spokesman for the consortium said previously it was prepared to “enter into a dialogue” with the Government to reach a settlement.
“On Friday October 11, it was made clear that the consortium partners of PPE Medpro are prepared to enter into discussions with the Government, via the administrators, to reach a possible settlement,” he said.
“This was made very public, and the Government was made aware of it.
“Yet, very disappointingly, the Government has made no effort to respond or seek to enter into discussions.”
PPE Medpro has been contacted for comment.
