UK minister denies taking political decision not to join EU procurement scheme

British health minister Matt Hancock denied on Tuesday that Britain made a political decision not to participate in an EU procurement scheme to provide items of personal protective equipment against the new coronavirus. Earlier Simon McDonald, head of the diplomatic service at the Foreign Office, told lawmakers: "It was a political decision."

But Hancock later told reporters: "As far as I am aware, there was no political decision not to participate in that scheme. We did receive an invitation ... and we joined." Hancock added that he understood the scheme had yet to deliver a single item of protective equipment.