Covid inquiry: Drakeford says PM promises 'proper Welsh dimension'

Opposition parties have repeatedly called on the Welsh government to hold a Wales-specific Covid inquiry

Boris Johnson has promised there will be "a proper Welsh dimension" to the UK Covid inquiry, according to the first minister.

Mark Drakeford has not ruled out his own inquiry but on Monday said the prime minister had given assurances on the UK probe.

His comments have angered Covid Bereaved Families for Justice, who have been calling for a Wales-only inquiry.

A minister said a Welsh-only inquiry is still not ruled out.

The campaign accused Mr Drakeford of being "vague and disrespectful", saying said they had been told Mr Drakeford would update them "in a few weeks" after he met them earlier in the month.

Welsh Conservatives said a Covid-inquiry should be the priority for Mark Drakeford, not the constitutional committee announced on Tuesday.

The Welsh government has sought assurances that the UK-wide inquiry will be adequate with look at the Welsh experience and the actions of ministers.

Mr Drakeford held talks with Mr Johnson and other first ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said: "The prime minister committed to the Covid inquiry being UK-wide where this will maximise benefit and lessons learned, and said we will consult the Devolved Administrations on the terms of reference".

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Following the meeting Mr Drakeford said on twitter that he "pressed the PM for a guarantee the UK Covid inquiry would properly examine the actions of Welsh government and experiences of the people of Wales".

"The PM confirmed there will be a proper Welsh dimension to the inquiry and spoke of its importance to the whole of the UK", he added.

Mark Drakeford said the PM had agreed the actions of the government will be examined

The Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have all called for a Welsh probe.

Conservative health spokesman Russell George said: "For the Labour government in Cardiff Bay to both refuse grieving Welsh families a Covid inquiry to examine its actions during the pandemic and to push ahead with its constitutional commission in a matter of hours shows its mindset is warped and out-of-touch.

"Wales has the highest Covid death rate in the UK and over 8,000 people have tragically died during the pandemic, a quarter of whom acquired the infection in hospital.

"Their families deserve answers, and full, independent scrutiny of the decisions taken by Labour ministers."

In response, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru said: "We are so angry about this tonight. We shared our personal stories with [the first minister] and he promised to update us in a meeting in 'a few weeks'. On a wet Monday night, we read his tweet."

In a further tweet it said: "We are still reeling from this. A vague, disrespectful delivery of news to us and contrary to the devolved way that Wales governs."

Speaking at First Minister's Questions, Mark Drakeford said Boris Johnson had "assured" him that the devolved governments would be "properly involved and engaged" in the terms of reference, working practices and appointment of the inquiry chair. He said the Prime Minister has said the inquiry chair would be appointed before Christmas: "I expect the first ministers of other UK nations to be involved in that appointment.

"If I read about it in a press release, or I'm told about it half an hour before it is issued, then the sense of genuine involvement and a genuine opportunity to have the Welsh dimension scrutinised as it needs to be in that inquiry will inevitably be under question".

'Preference for joined-up inquiry'

In a media briefing on Tuesday Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said the first minister's preference was for a UK inquiry, and had a "constructive conversation" with the prime minister.

"What of course we need to see is that those commitments are made real in the actual written terms of reference for any inquiry."

If the terms do not meet his expectations "the first minister has not ruled out a Welsh-only inquiry".

"The first minister has always been clear, the preference is for a joined up UK inquiry that properly looks at decisions that we have made here in Wales, but also how those are connected to UK wide choices," he said.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a separate judge-led inquiry for the country last month, to be held "as soon as possible".

The Welsh government has repeatedly refused calls for a separate inquiry saying only a UK-wide inquiry could deal with the "interconnected nature" of decisions.

In May, Boris Johnson announced that he intended to launch an inquiry into the pandemic in the first half of 2022.

He told MPs a delay was necessary to avoid putting too much stress on the NHS, advisers and government while there was the risk of a winter surge later this year.

The exact aims and remit - known as the terms of reference - will be announced closer to the start of the inquiry next year.