Responding to the Statement by the First Minister yesterday on the UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Module 2 report, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood asked what action the Welsh Government will now take to address the serious issues raised in the report.
Mr Isherwood, spoke as Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, which is scrutinising the UK Covid Inquiry’s Module 1 report, and has also been tasked with scrutinising the Module 2 findings.
He therefore also asked the Welsh Government, “what concrete assurances can you give that you will support detailed and transparent scrutiny of the serious findings contained within the Module 2 report?”.
He said:
“Our current work builds on the Wales Covid-19 Special Purpose Committee’s report by examining gaps in the Welsh Government’s and other public bodies’ pandemic preparedness and response.
“We will also assess how far the Welsh Government has acted on Module 1 recommendations, including improvements to civil contingencies planning and future preparedness.
“We have started to gather evidence to inform this inquiry this month, and intend to report early next year to allow the Welsh Government to respond before dissolution.”
Regarding the Module 2 findings referenced in the First Minister’s statement, Mr Isherwood said:
“This report places significant emphasis on Wales and marks an important milestone for those seeking answers, alongside a commitment to learn lessons and work with devolved Governments.
“The Module 2 report’s findings are concerning.
“What action will you take to address the evidence found by the Inquiry of a lack of decisive action by the Welsh Government, an over reliance on the UK Government in terms of decisions making and initial response, high mortality rates and repeated mistakes?
“Further, what action will you take to address Statements by the inquiry Chair that the circumstances which led to the Welsh Government's decision to impose a Christmas 2020 Covid lockdown across Wales were ‘inexcusable’, and that Welsh Ministers had failed to take ‘decisive action’ against an ‘entirely foreseeable’ Covid variant resulting in the lockdown?
“The Committee will dedicate time to the Module 2 report in the New Year, but as I have stated on the record previously, our work on this will be limited given the late stage in the Senedd term.”
Mr Isherwood stressed that the Committee is “not a substitute for a Wales-specific inquiry, and our work cannot in any way match the depth of a public inquiry”.
He added:
“However, we are committed to highlighting concerns and laying the groundwork for further scrutiny by our successor Committee and possibly other policy Committees in the Seventh Senedd, in the Committee’s legacy report.
“What concrete assurances can you give that you will support detailed and transparent scrutiny of the serious findings contained within the Module 2 report and how will you ensure the Welsh Government engages with that scrutiny process in a constructive manner?”
