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First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford (right), arrives to give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at Dorland House in London, during its first investigation (Module 1) examining if the pandemic was properly planned for and "whether the UK was adequately ready for that eventuality". Picture date: Tuesday July 4, 2023.
COVID campaigners in Wales criticised the Welsh government after hearing from former health minister Vaughan Gething today at the Covid-19 public inquiry.
Mr Gething told the inquiry that strained relationships between ministers in the Welsh and UK governments “hampered” pandemic planning.
He admitted during his evidence that he had not read many of the pandemic contingency documents apart from preparing for appearing at the inquiry itself.
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru’s Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees said: “Following this morning’s session, all I can say is that we certainly do things differently in Wales.
“The UK government kept influenza pandemic on the top of their risk register. However, Wales removed it from theirs and put it into a different risk register.
“We believe there needs to be a root-and-branch review of what the Welsh government did. Things need to be simplified and consolidated.”
Mr Gething said he could have “sped up” preparedness for a pandemic if he had put more time into it, but said his focus as a minister was on more immediate issues.
He explained that one of the things he had found most difficult was the question around dignity in death.
“We were not as prepared as we could and should have been and that did lead to additional pain for bereaved families,” he said.
Mark Drakeford also criticised Westminster government ministers for their unwillingness to engage with the devolved nations and how this hampered preparations for emergency planning.
The First Minister told the inquiry that the Welsh government did not feel the need to create a Wales-specific risk assessment document after the transfer of powers of civil contingencies in 2018.
Mr Drakeford was asked about the complexity of the Welsh government’s risk assessment machinery and said as a minister and First Minister he felt the machinery worked well and provided proper advice.
Four days after taking office as First Minister he said his first Cabinet meeting was almost wholly focused on arrangements for a no-deal Brexit.
“The system was already turning its sights very firmly to a danger that was right in front of you,” Mr Drakeford said.
He gave an example of how water treatment chemicals for Welsh reservoirs came from Germany and how a no-deal Brexit could cause potential high-risk dangers to water supplies in Wales.
