Senedd Covid committee ‘ineffective and secretive’ say campaigners

Martin Shipton

Welsh families bereaved during the pandemic have strongly criticised a Senedd committee set up as a sop to those who wanted a Wales-specific Covid inquiry as ineffective and secretive.

The Senedd Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee was established in Spring 2023 following talks between then First Minister Mark Drakeford and Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservative Senedd group.

In a statement to Nation.Cymru, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru said: “We are deeply concerned about the approach and effectiveness of the Senedd Covid Committee established to identify gaps in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Overlooked

Despite being established 17 months ago, it has become increasingly clear that this committee is failing in its duty to represent Wales and scrutinise the critical lessons that must be learned from the pandemic.

“It is glaringly obvious that Wales has been largely overlooked by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, whose focus is predominantly on England. Meanwhile, Scotland, as a similarly devolved nation, has established its own independent Scottish Covid Inquiry, with a strong set of terms of reference that work in tandem with the UK Inquiry. This is the model we want for Wales – a dedicated independent inquiry that ensures the experiences, decisions, and consequences specific to Wales are fully examined.

“Our concerns about the Senedd Covid Committee are manifold:

* Lack of Transparency: Shockingly, 10 of the 12 meetings held by the committee to date have been conducted in secret. There was a stakeholder session, but this was cut short because the committee couldn’t answer our questions and a session with ‘experts’ who had no knowledge of Wales and provided inaccurate information. This is wholly inconsistent with the values of openness and transparency that the Senedd is supposed to uphold. We believe that the public deserves to know what is being discussed in their name and how these crucial decisions are being made.

* Committee Instability: The committee has experienced multiple changes in its membership over the course of its operation. This lack of consistency undermines the committee’s ability to maintain focus and deliver meaningful outcomes. Without stable and continuous membership, it is impossible to expect coherent and effective scrutiny of the Covid-19 response in Wales.

* Failure to Engage with Bereaved Families: Despite being core participants in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, as bereaved families, we have not been formally invited to contribute to or provide feedback on the committee’s work. Our voices, representing the families most affected by the pandemic, must be heard, and our exclusion from this process is unacceptable.

* Lack of Progress: After 17 months, the committee has produced no reports, documents or meaningful outputs. In contrast, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, although lengthy, has been thorough and detailed in its examination of the pandemic response, albeit predominantly in England. We are the only core participants of the modules asking vital questions about Wales in the UK Inquiry, and we see no evidence that the Senedd Covid Committee has the skills, resources, or time to bridge any gaps in this process.

* Independant: The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is a statutory public inquiry. It’s independent from political persuasion and that is important. The Senedd Committee is hosted by politicians, half of whom belong to the party who made the decisions that are to be investigated. Mixing politics and examination is never going to achieve any plausible outcome.

Lack of transparency 

They added: “In light of these serious concerns, we have no faith that this committee can effectively scrutinise the Welsh response to the pandemic. The lack of transparency, consistency, and engagement is deeply troubling, and we believe there is no other option than to establish a Wales Covid Inquiry. We call on the Welsh Government to follow Scotland’s lead and ensure that the people of Wales are not left without answers or accountability for the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Welsh public, especially those of us who have lost loved ones to Covid, deserve the same level of inquiry and investigation as other devolved nations. We need to learn lessons to ensure that we are better prepared for future public health crises. This will not happen if Wales continues to be treated as an afterthought in the ongoing UK-wide process.

“Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru remain committed to seeking truth and accountability on behalf of all those who suffered during the pandemic in Wales. We will not rest until Wales receives the thorough and transparent investigation it deserves.”

When we sought a response from the Welsh Government, we were initially told: “This needs to go to the Senedd press office.”

We then pointed out to the Welsh Government that the Covid campaign group was calling on the Welsh Government to establish a Wales-specific Covid Inquiry.

Sympathies

A Welsh Government spokesperson then said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with everyone who lost loved ones during the pandemic.

“Full scrutiny of the decisions made by Welsh Ministers and Welsh public services, together with their interconnected nature with those taken by other UK governments, can only be achieved by a comprehensive UK-wide inquiry.

“We continue to engage fully with the inquiry to ensure all actions and decisions taken by the Welsh government are fully and properly scrutinised.”

The Senedd Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee issued a statement to us that said: “We cannot underestimate the pain and trauma that many across Wales faced throughout the pandemic, and we understand why there has been a debate around how in Wales we respond to what happened.

“Our committee has been given a very specific remit, which was agreed by a majority of Members of the Senedd. This commits us to looking at the reports of each stage of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and recommending to the Senedd any gaps that need further examination.

“We are only able to begin work on identifying these gaps when the UK COVID-19 Inquiry reports. We are now considering the most recent report from the UK Inquiry – which was published in July.

“This week we agreed that we will now continue our work at pace, including launching a further public consultation and stakeholder engagement event with all interested people and groups.

“Those who lost their lives or whose lives were changed forever, and their families, are at the heart of what we are doing.”