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Stormont’s health and finance departments intend to place a £170m order for personal protective equipment (PPE)

Funds have been set aside for a £60m deposit with a Chinese state firm.

But leaked documents, seen by the Nolan Show, reveal concerns that goods from China may not be of high enough quality.

There are also concerns over the danger of being in competition with NI’s main supply route via the UK government.

The funds were originally set aside for a failed order with Dublin, but instead were allocated to a new supply route identified by Northern Ireland officials in China.

The Department of Health say “prospective PPE supply routes from China for Northern Ireland have not been finalised”.