Overview

• Sarah, Duchess of York, and the Dubai Royal Family offered to help the UK government secure PPE in April 2020, during the early COVID-19 crisis.
• The Duchess of York contacted Lord Deighton with connections to PPE suppliers in China, while the Dubai Royal Family's offer was relayed through Michael Gove and Lord Agnew.
• Testimony revealed no specific training or guidance was provided to officials on handling offers from royalty or other high-profile individuals during the pandemic.
• Senior government officials handled these offers sensitively, according to evidence presented during the UK COVID-19 Inquiry's fifth module on procurement.
• The inquiry is also investigating the use of a 'high-priority lane' for expedited contracts and ongoing controversies, including the PPE Medpro case.