Welsh Conservatives bring forward debate calling for Senedd Covid committee witnesses to swear oath

Emily Price

The Welsh Conservatives are set to force a vote on compelling witnesses to the Senedd’s Covid  committee to swear an oath declaring they are telling the truth before giving evidence.

It comes after the Covid-19 Special Purposes Committee was blocked by the Welsh Government’s business manager from introducing the requirement.

The cross-party committee was established in 2023 and has been tasked with investigating any gaps that are identified by the UK Covid Inquiry.

Politicians, civil servants and health experts that are compelled to give evidence to the UK probe must first swear an affirmation that they will tell the truth.

But there is currently no requirement for a similar oath to be sworn by witnesses giving evidence to the Senedd’s Covid committee.

‘Confidence’

The Tories have long called for the Welsh Government to establish a Wales-specific inquiry.

But in its absence, the party says that the committee established in its place must be able to take evidence under oath to “give the public confidence” it its proceedings.

In the Senedd next week, the Welsh Conservatives will bring forward a motion calling for the Covid committee to be given a discretionary power to enable it to require witnesses to make an affirmation when giving evidence.

The debate has received support Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru campaign group.

Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic destroyed lives, livelihoods, and its consequences for people’s health, education and their businesses are still being felt. That’s why the Welsh Conservatives have consistently called for a full, Wales-specific public inquiry into the pandemic.

“It’s crucially important that the Senedd’s Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee has the powers that it needs and gives confidence to the general public that it is doing its job properly. We’re calling for the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee to have the power to require witnesses to take an oath or make an affirmation when giving evidence.

“If Labour Ministers have nothing to hide, why would they object? Or are they worried that officials who are no longer in government might have more to say now that they’re outside the civil service? Blocking this basic measure only raises more questions about what Labour Ministers don’t want the public to know.”

Truth

The Covid-19 Special Purposes Committee does not take place in a judicial setting and there is no judge – unlike the UK inquiry which is chaired by former judge and cross-bench peer Baroness Hallett, who previously led the inquests into the 7 July London bombings.

In Wales, oaths have never been sworn by witnesses giving evidence to any Senedd Committee.

Last week during Questions to the First Minister, Baroness Eluned Morgan said calls for witnesses to swear an oath before giving evidence to the Senedd were blocked because it is not a full scale public inquiry.

She said: “That’s the way the system works. We’ve made it very clear about how we’re going to organise this. A vast amount of public money has been spent on this already, a vast amount of legal work has been worked on this already.

“I recognise that people who suffered during the pandemic want answers. They are getting answers.”

Blocked

Tory Senedd leader Darren Millar said the Welsh Government was standing in the way of requiring witnesses “simply to tell the truth”.

The UK Covid Inquiry has already questioned Welsh witnesses such as former First Minister Mark Drakeford and the health minister in charge of Wales’ response to the pandemic, Vaughan Gething.

But families who lost loved ones during the pandemic say Wales needs to have its own forensic and targeted investigation into decision-making by Welsh ministers.

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, said: “The Welsh Labour Government refused a Wales-wide Covid-19 inquiry, yet the UK Covid Inquiry can’t give us the answers that Wales needs, with evidence destroyed, and accountability dodged.

“All we have in Wales is the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee, which is now also running from scrutiny.

“We’re supporting the Welsh Conservatives debate urging the Committee to ensure those who give evidence do so under oath. This is our last chance to make sure witnesses tell the truth.

“No more evasion, no more lies. We’re calling on Welsh Labour to vote for oaths and vote for justice.”