A company linked to Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone has been ordered by the High Court to repay almost £122 million to the Government after breaching the contract to supply 25 million surgical gowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled the gowns were not sterile or properly validated, meaning they could not be used in the NHS. The Department of Health and Social Care said the ruling confirms the department’s right to recover the price paid, while storage costs are not recoverable, with payment due by 4pm on 15 October.

PPE Medpro is a consortium led by Doug Barrowman and backed by Baroness Mone, who helped secure the contract after recommending the firm to ministers. The court heard concerns about a potential conflict of interest linked to the peer’s involvement and her husband’s ties to the company. The government said the gowns were substandard and that damages cover the price of the gowns, excluding storage costs. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would pursue every penny owed to the NHS, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed the ruling as part of recovering Covid-era losses.

Mrs Justice Cockerill’s 87-page ruling stated the gowns were not sterile or properly validated, meaning they could not be used by the NHS. The court found that Baroness Mone helped secure the deal and facilitated discussions with officials during contract negotiations. The case has prompted scrutiny of PPE procurement during the pandemic. Baroness Mone is currently on leave from the House of Lords; proposals to remove a peerage would require an Act of Parliament. A campaign group welcomed the judgment and called for Baroness Mone to be stripped of her title, while noting that peerages can only be removed by Parliament.