The Tories are refusing to cancel a failing outsourcing contract to run part of NHS Test and Trace. Health minister Edward Argar, who previously worked as head of public affairs for the firm Serco, rejected calls not to renew its £300million contract this month.
Labour wants cash be handed to local councils instead. Mr Argar was grilled by the BBC’s Nick Robinson on whether the Government was set on handing contracts to “friends” in the private sector rather than bolstering experienced public health teams.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re reducing the size of that contract from 18,000 to 12,000, but still think that is a vital part of Test and Trace”.