(Fixes typo in fifth paragraph, no other changes)

LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - Britain made a political decision not to participate in a European scheme to buy ventilators and other equipment to fight the coronavirus, the top official at Britain’s foreign ministry said on Tueday.

The British government, which is entitled to participate in such schemes under an 11-month transition deal since leaving the EU in January, said last month it had missed the invitation in an e-mail mixup.

Asked by a lawmaker on parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee why Britain had not been involved in EU procurement, Simon McDonald, permanent under secretary and head of the diplomatic service at the foreign ministry, said: “All I can say is as a matter of fact we have not taken part.”

“It was a political decision,” he added, when asked by another lawmaker what the policy advice from officials had been or whether it had been a political decision.

McDonald said officials in the UK mission to the EU had “briefed ministers about what was available, what was on offer and the decision is known”.

The EU has said Britain was given a chance to participate in the joint procurement to buy ventilators on behalf of 25 members states, and said schemes to buy ventilators and other medical gear were discussed in meetings in which the UK participated.

Asked about McDonald’s comment, health minister Matt Hancock denied there had been a political decision.

“I have spoken to the foreign secretary and as far as I’m aware, there was no political decision not to participate in that scheme,” he told a news conference, adding that it had not yet produced personal protective equipment (PPE).

“We did receive an invitation in the Department for Health ... and we joined. So we are now members of that scheme. However, as far as I know, that scheme hasn’t yet delivered a single item of PPE.” (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, editing by Estelle Shirbon)