Drakeford thought UK Government would control pandemic response, inquiry told
Mark Drakeford believed the UK Government would be in charge of Wales’ pandemic response until just days before the first lockdown, an inquiry has heard.
The First Minister was under the impression the Welsh Government would not be making decisions to prevent the spread of coronavirus itself due to the type of legislation being used in Parliament.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry heard the First Minister only discovered the country would be in control on March 20, three days before the first lockdown was announced.
Tom Poole KC, the lead counsel for the inquiry, said reports submitted by Professor Dan Wincott, an expert on Welsh Government decision-making, suggested this outcome was “not one that the First Minister anticipated”.
Civil Contingencies Act
The inquiry heard the Welsh Government initially believed Parliament would use powers in the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) to implement protections against the pandemic, such as the first lockdown.
The CCA puts the UK Government in charge of decision-making, with devolved administrations left to implement them.
However, because Covid-19 was not considered an “unforeseen event” the CCA could not be used.
Instead, public health powers were drawn on, meaning the devolved governments, including in Wales, oversaw their own responses.
Mr Poole said the First Minister agreed with the decision to use public health rules, which would allow Wales to “reflect the particular circumstances” of the country, but the UK Government’s decision was “not formally made until March 20”.
Prof Wincott agreed Mr Drakeford had assumed any “primary decision-making power” would remain with the UK Government.
“That certainly seems to be the First Minister’s understanding of the situation,” he said.
Lack of clarity
Prof Wincott added this was a “widespread view” among other devolved nations but there was a “lack of clarity” in early pandemic decision-making.
Boris Johnson said in his response to a previous section of the inquiry that his government should have thought harder about the legal basis for the measures to prevent different rules in the four nations of the UK.
Prof Wincott described the overlap of policies between UK and Welsh government rule as having “jagged edges”.
The hearing continues.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Then exactly why do we, the Welsh electorate keep voting for Welsh Labour, when clearly they treat devolution and their powers with contempt , consistently looking east to Llundain whether to blame westminster for their own failling( funding) The Welsh Government administers Public Health and was very aware from operation Cygnus the failings that exposed in the event of a pandemic yet quite blissfully ignored (stuck it;s head in a hole morelike). A first minister expecting for BOJO to direct a wales response. Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Geithing if they had a shred of decency should step immediatley from eletcted… Read more »
Did you not read the article? The final decision by Westminster to allow devolved governments to make their own decisions was not made until 20 March 2023, just three days before the first lock down.
If anything this reflects the indecisiveness of the Westminster government.
So if anyone should be calling an immediate election it should be Westminster.
The only people who dare call for a Welsh General Election is a Labour hating Right winger. I have issues with Labour, and as such don’t vote for them, but on this matter they played the hand they would dealt. That said I don’t doubt they mistakes. However, the UK Government didn’t just make mistakes they failed to institute a lockdown earlier, medical experts have made it clear that if measures had been put in place just two weeks before then thousands of lives would have been saved. Furthermore, the UK Government took England out of lockdown without an adequate… Read more »
That says it all dripford and labour always blame Westminster but they have been in power in Wales for 25 years. Blame the people who vote for them.
Did you not read the article? See my response above to Mark Owen another fanboy of Bojo the Clown.
This is why Wales languishes at the bottom continually when we have our so-called Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford assume Wales will forever be attached to the teat of Whitehall. Drakeford says, ” I thought the UK Government would be in charge of Wales pandemic response?”. You can’t have it both ways Mark. It’s called direct rule. Surely Welsh Labour had contingency plans regarding a possible outbreak, be it something mundane like measles or chickenpox? And yes , Covid like Spanish Flu, is a once in a generation pandemic like no other. But why was Welsh Labour so unprepared seeing… Read more »
Spanish flu is a misnomer, in reality it should be known as “american flu” as the first known cases were reported at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas.
The only reason why it is “Spanish” is because Spain was a neutral country at the time of the first world war, so its press wasn’t subject to censorship and free to report on the levels of infection sweeping the world; the allies imposed strict censorship on the reporting for the war effort.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic
https://www.history.com/news/why-was-it-called-the-spanish-flu
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/the-origin-of-the-spanish-flu/
It was obvious the clout of the UK treasury was needed. But we had a brexit party at the helm. Dropping that looks like the UK gov were panicking. Companies were closing down the UK before the UK government acted cos Boris wanted to be on his hilibobs.
Some things that could’ve been done, such as no movement of people in or out of the uk (just as New Zealand introduced at the time), are powers held by uk government and would have meant far fewer deaths from covid-19 and a return to “normality” a lot sooner instead of repeated lockdowns.
So much for your “UK is our insurance policy” beliefs Mark!!!!