Thread by @allthecitizens

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆:

The Chair of UK Government Senior Salaries Review Body, Martin Read, is Chairman of a company awarded a £15m Lateral Flow Device distribution contract.

He was previously on the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Board.

THREAD

Major UK transport & logistics company Wincanton Plc won the £15m contract from DHSC, published on 18th March, to store and distribute Lateral Flow Device test kits in the fight against Coronavirus.

…te.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/041788…

contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/90fd4f4…

The non-executive Chair of Wincanton, Martin Read, appointed in 2018, also works as a government advisor, sitting on the chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body.
gov.uk/government/peo…

The Senior Salaries Review Body advises officials such as the PM, Lord Chancellor, Defence Secretary, Secretary of State for Health, and Home Secretary on the pay of senior judges, civil servants, army officers, NHS managers, and Police Commissioners.
gov.uk/government/org…

Read has longstanding ties to government, previously holding a role on the Efficiency & Reform board, now at the Cabinet Office. It aimed to “save money, transform the way public services are delivered, improve user experience and support UK growth"
wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.n…

Wincanton was one of 25 companies awarded part of a £2.5 billion tendered ‘Pan Government Collaborative agreement’ “for the provision of Logistics and Warehousing to be utilised by central government departments and all other UK public sector bodies”....

This agreement “will be the recommended vehicle for all logistics and warehousing required by UK public sector bodies” for the next 4 years.
contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/342a6b3…

When we asked if Read’s potential conflict of interests were declared in the tendering process, Wincanton said they “satisfied all the requirements set out including those related to transparency”, but did not reply to the question if they had expressly detailed Read’s links.

The DHSC also stated that “there is no conflict of interest arising”.

There’s no assertion of wrongdoing on the part of Wincanton or Mr Read, or that the contract can’t be delivered on, or was won improperly.

But despite this, @allthecitizens feels it is important to highlight the fact that declarations of potential conflicts of interest are not part of the government’s published information on awarded contracts.

.@allthecitizens has been campaigning for better transparency surrounding contracts, including a register of interests for company directors who have political links, either via donations or public body associations, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. This applies here.

Here is the report on this in collaboration with @WritesBright @BylineTimes

bylinetimes.com/2021/04/13/con…