Scotland COVID-19 Inquiry Shows Wales the Way

Scotlands First Minister has today made good on her promise to initiate a Statutory Public Inquiry into her Governments handling of the Covid-19 pandemic before the end of the year.

Whilst this will cover those matters devolved to Scotland, there is still no plan in place to hold a Wales specific inquiry, with the Welsh government insistent that a UK inquiry is the best course of action for understanding the experience of people in Wales.

The Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru Group, said ‘We send our congratulations to our counterparts at Covid Bereaved Families for Justice – Scotland and Aamer Anwer for helping secure a Scotland-specific inquiry this year. Wales has suffered a huge loss of life from Covid-19 and as the families left behind we feel that we deserve the same level of scrutiny. The decision in Scotland only reinforces the need for Mark Drakeford to hold a Wales-specific inquiry and anything less from the Welsh Government is putting lives at risk.

Solicitor Craig Court, partner at Harding Evans, who is representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, said: ‘The announcement today from the Scottish Government of their plans to start a Statutory Public Inquiry before the end of the year will leave many families in Wales questioning ‘why is this not happening here’. Both health and social care are devolved in Wales so are controlled and managed by the Welsh Government. Just as in Scotland, it’s therefore critical that Wales has its own inquiry so that we can seek greater transparency and accountability and lessons can be learned”

To find out more about our COVID Inquiry legal representation in Wales please click here