T.R.O.Y. wrote:I don’t understand how the system works? I thought that MPs had influence over this decision, you called me an idiot for thinking that and it turns out I was right.
It’s very simple Sluffy. I knew you wouldn’t apologise though, you’re too proud to even admit fault on the internet.
Jesus Christ even now you are still showing your ignorance and lack of understanding!!!
MP's DO NOT have influence over the awarding of contracts - can't you grasp that fact???
Look I'll again explain it to you as simply as I can...
An MP might put forward a 'friends' offer to become a supplier but that's as far as their influence goes - it is then dealt with by the civil servants -
Sluffy wrote:24. Accordingly, in order to address the challenge of surging demand for PPE within the NHS, it was decided to set up a new organisation to focus solely on procuring PPE supplies for the public sector: this was known as the “PPE Cell”, and comprised a dedicated cross-governmental team of officials from DHSC, the MoD, Cabinet Office and NHS England. This prevented undue pressure on NHS Supply Chain’s existing administrative capability, allowing it to continue to meet the need for other consumables in the healthcare system more generally and deal with existing PPE suppliers. The new task force decided to adopt an innovative “open-source” approach to procurement, calling for help from across the UK business community to help ensure critical supplies were maintained, with a view to buying the items urgently needed whencesoever it was necessary and appropriate to do so.
The civil servants in the PPE Cell received these offers and evaluated them...
Sluffy wrote:33. When offers were being evaluated, the technical suitability of the products on offer was confirmed with separate teams at NHS Supply Chain. Once the closing team had finalised the commercial terms of the proposed contract, details would be sent to the senior officials at DHSC for a final decision by an appropriate Accounting Officer. For the purposes of Covid-related PPE procurement, contracts up to the value of £5m were approved by a Deputy Director; contracts between £5m and £100m by a Director in DHSC Finance; and contracts over £100m by the Second Permanent Secretary. It should be stressed that this final decision was not a mere formality and, based on HM Treasury criteria, careful assessment was given to whether the proposed purchase would represent value of money in the circumstances (prices recently paid for similar products being a key point of reference).
About one in ten suppliers processed through the high-priority lane (47 out of 493) obtained contracts - so if you put that around the other way about nine in ten suppliers processed through the high-priority lane (446 out of 493)
FAILED the evaluation and did not obtained contracts
The awarding of the contracts were then signed off by senior civil servants - the contracts being awarded as per the criteria they were working to - so
NO MP's HAD ANY INFLUENCE OVER THE DECISION.And the only people who could override their decision were ministers (MP's themselves) and the NAO confirms that never happened!!!!
Sluffy wrote:The NAO concluded that in cases of potential conflicts of interest involving ministers, all had properly declared their interests and it found "no evidence of their involvement in procurement decisions or contract management".
That means as I've been telling you over, and over, and over again, that MP's DIDN'T have influence over the awarding of the contracts.
What the NAO report is saying that if there was any 'corrupt' practices in the awarding of the contracts it can only have been done by the civil servants involved in the process...
Sluffy wrote:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19People like my good self would be the ones working to policy, the ones who would care about what they've been professionally trained to do and spent many years climbing up the ladder to the top of the tree and wouldn't throw it all away because some random MP said, 'Sluffy, you don't know me but do me a favour and award this half billion pound contract to my mate who actually doesn't know anything about PPE but we'll make sure you get a very nice Christmas bonus, nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!!'
Do you REALLY believe that actually happened???
So 90% of the 'High Priority Lane' were REJECTED as not meeting the criteria!
The contracts awarded COULD and the whole evaluation and award was done by public servants and so NO MP influence involved at all!
The NAO findings are critical of the civil servants lack of proper documentation which leads to public confidence in what has happened being undermined and everything not being as transparent as it ideally should have been.
Can you understand it better now???