MATT Hancock has revealed the UK Government did agree to participate in an EU scheme to procure ventilators for the NHS but insisted it had had “zero impact” on its ability to do so because the scheme had not yet made any of the equipment available.

Amid the continuing concerns over the availability of Personal Protective Equipment, the UK Health Secretary made his remarks after a Whitehall mandarin shocked MPs by saying the UK Government’s decision not to take part in an EU ventilator scheme was a “political” one.

Sir Simon McDonald, the Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office, told a virtual session of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, that officials had briefed ministers on what continental procurment schemes were still open to the UK, even though it had left the European Union at the end of January.

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Asked why the UK was not involved in EU procurement, Sir Simon replied: "We left the European Union on January 31."

Pressed by Labour MP Chris Bryant, who argued the UK had "every right" to participate in the scheme, the chief official said: "All I can say is, as a matter of fact, we have not taken part."

When Tom Tugendhat, the committee Chairman, asked Sir Simon whether it had been a political decision by ministers, he replied: "It was a political decision."

British officials at the UK Mission to the EU in Brussels "briefed ministers about what was available, what was on offer, and the decision is no," explained Sir Simon.

However, last night in a dramatic twist, the Whitehall mandarin wrote to the committee to say he had been "incorrect" and reverted to the Government's earlier defence that the EU scheme was not initially joined because of a "communication problem".

Sir Simon said he wanted to "clarify" that point which he had called "incorrect".

He explained that "due to a misunderstanding" he had "inadvertently and wrongly" made the claim.

"Ministers were not briefed by our mission in Brussels about the scheme and a political decision was not taken on whether or not to participate," he wrote.

As the political row over the EU procurement scheme took off in the wake of Brexit, Downing Street last month claimed there had been a "mix-up," which had meant emails from the EU about the procurement scheme were not received.

Sir Simon’s initial remarks were seized upon by opposition politicians, who demanded answers.

Alyn Smith, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman, said the claim that the Conservative Government’s decision was a political decision rather than a logistical error was “damning”.

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The Stirling MP declared: “It’s clear UK Government ministers were briefed about the Europe-wide scheme but chose to reject vital protective equipment due to its narrow Brexit ideology.”

Sir Ed Davey, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "This Government's evident unwillingness to work with the European Union through the current crisis is unforgivable.

"Time and again, the Government seem to have missed opportunities to join the EU's procurement efforts. Continued shortages of PPE over the last few days coupled with the Government's failure to scale up testing for NHS and social care workers demonstrate that the current approach hasn't delivered. Lives are at risk as a result.”

Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary, noted: "First, we were told the Government missed an email invitation to join the EU procurement scheme. Then, we were told the decision not to take part was a political decision. Now, we are told that the Government did sign up to the scheme.

"This is not a trivial matter. Ministers needs to explain what has happened and who is speaking for the Government on this matter," he added.

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But asked about it at the daily Downing St briefing Mr Hancock explained: "The invitation when it came in to the Department for Health - and I know there has been debate about whether it was sent to the wrong email address initially - to participate in this scheme in an associate way, because we are not members of the EU, came to me for decision and I said: yes.”

He went on: “But, having said that, as far as I'm aware this scheme has not yet delivered any PPE. And that is the decision-making process I was involved in.

"It was a recommendation and I took the decision in the normal way; that's the long and short of it.”

The Secretary of State added: "But the impact on our ability to deliver PPE is zero; there is no impact at all because the scheme has not yet made anything available."