Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Corruption in UK: Matt Hancock committed 'minor breach' of ministerial code when NHS contract awarded to sister's company

Corruption in UK: Matt Hancock committed 'minor breach' of ministerial code when NHS contract awarded to sister's company

The report revealed Health Secretary Matt Hancock earned millions from tax payers money, as he has a 20% stake in his sister's company, which was awarded a COVID contract. But it’s not as big money as Blain maid out of Iraq fake war, so never mind.

Matt Hancock committed a "minor breach" of the ministerial code when a coronavirus contract was awarded to his sister's company in which he had share holdings, an independent report has found.

Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers' interests, found that the health secretary had made a "technical" breach of the ministerial code of conduct by failing to declare that a firm run by a family member, which he has a 20% stake in, had won an NHS contract.

However, he added that Mr Hancock had "a lack of knowledge" of the contract and that the conflict of interest was "in no way deliberate".

The report found Matt Hancock made a 'technical' breach of the code but acted with 'integrity'


Lord Geidt, former permanent secretary to the Queen, also deemed that the health secretary acted with "integrity throughout", adding: "This event should in no way impugn his good character or ministerial record."

Boris Johnson has said that the health secretary would face no further action after the technical breach, defying Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner's call for the PM to "explain why the public should trust him to lead such a major government department".

Lord Geidt was investigating Mr Hancock's shares in Topwood Ltd, a firm run by his sister and brother-in-law, which was approved as a potential supplier for NHS trusts in England.

In a letter to the prime minister, Mr Hancock said he has "always sought to act within the ministerial code, including in this instance".

The health secretary's letter continues: "Lord Geidt's assessment appears to be that I should have declared an interest following the placement of the company that my sister and her husband own on a procurement framework by NHS Shared Business Services.

"At that point, in February 2019, I had no involvement in, interest in, ownership of, or anything else to do with the company. I did not know about the framework decision and so I do not think I could reasonably have been expected to declare it. Nor can I see how a conflict of interest can arise on a matter about which I had no knowledge."

Mr Hancock also stated that he still has "no active participation" in the company.

Responding to Mr Hancock's letter on Friday, the PM stated that Lord Geidt "has made clear" that the health secretary acted "properly and honestly in promptly making your declaration and diligently seeking advice".

Mr Johnson's letter adds: "I also note and agree with Lord Geidt's view that this event should in no way impugn your good character or ministerial record.

"I do not consider that any further action is required."

In the report of ministers' interests released on Friday, Lord Geidt said there could be a perceived conflict of interest, but that he believes the awarding of contracts "may have been very far from the secretary of state's main focus".

Lord Geidt's report also investigated the controversy over renovations at the PM's Downing Street flat, finding that Mr Johnson was "unwise" to allow the refurbishment "without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded".

The renovation of the prime minister's flat above Number 11 Downing Street is said to have totalled up to £200,000


With regards to the health secretary, Lord Geidt's report stated: "Given that Topwood Ltd had secured the award of a framework contract with NHS SBS, a company in which the legal personality of the secretary of state is a shareholder, I believe there to be a danger that a reasonable person might perceive this link to represent a conflict of interest, and that it should have been declared at the time.

"In reaching this determination, I accept that the scale of NHS operations in England (for which the secretary of state is responsible) are broad and that the activity of NHS SBS may have been very far from the secretary of state's main focus.

"I assess this earlier failure to declare the interest was as a result of his lack of knowledge and in no way deliberate, and therefore, in technical terms, a minor breach of the ministerial code. I have advised the prime minister accordingly.

"In coming to this finding, I recognise that Mr Hancock has acted with integrity throughout and that this event should in no way impugn his good character or ministerial record."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×