(Redcar) (Con) (V): Across
Redcar and Cleveland, we have fantastic businesses such as
Pendraken Miniatures and BC-FX, who have switched their
manufacturing lines to making visors, the Materials Processing
Institute, which has switched to making hundreds of bottles of hand
sanitiser for Marie Curie nurses every week, and 15-year-old Daniel
Sillett, who is using his 3D printer to make PPE for local care
facilities such as Marske Hall. Will the Minister join me in
commending those businesses and individuals as part of our national
effort in overcoming this crisis?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (): I would indeed like to join
my hon. Friend in congratulating them, and I congratulate him on
the way he has just explained that this is the most enormous
national effort, from large-scale businesses down to individuals
such as Daniel, to whom we must give our special thanks. This
national effort—the way in which individuals and businesses have
stepped forward, and the many offers from all the different
suppliers—has been extraordinary. We are working with industry
partners across the piece to make PPE. We are working with
Ineos and Diageo to produce hand and hygiene
products and to ensure that we get these to the frontline, using
services such as Clipper. Thanks to the work we have already
seen, we have seen novel products arrive on the frontline. Seven
companies have now been contracted in the UK to make over 25
million items of PPE and to send some 6 million square metres of
fabric to NHS Supply Chain.
