A Senedd committee has stated that there were shortcomings in Wales’ handling of the Covid pandemic.
The bipartisan committee stated they found nine areas needing attention.
UK-wide Covid inquiry
This necessitates further investigation into the response of the Welsh government and other public institutions.
Based on these findings, the committee aims to explore how an optimal resilience and preparedness framework for Wales can be developed.
The report is scheduled for debate at the Senedd next month, where MSs will be requested to sanction an additional investigation.
This marks the initial report from the Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee since its establishment in May 2023, tasked with identifying areas within the continuing Covid investigation that require further scrutiny specifically in Wales.
The initial
UK Covid inquiry report was published last July
And the Welsh government responded in January.
Although the Senedd committee factored in that response, they collected evidence to identify any potential gaps and collaborated with specialists from Nottingham Trent University for assistance.
The gaps are:
- To examine the most effective resilience and readiness framework for Wales
- To understand how responsibilities in civil emergency roles might be defined more clearly and accountability enhanced
- Examine how data access and sharing took place.
- Consider the effectiveness of communication of policy and guidance to the public
- Look at civil contingencies across borders, where responsibilities are shared, unclear or complex
- Review how leading resilience processes can be shared in Wales
- Examine ways in which social disparities can be integrated into readiness and resilience frameworks.
- Examine the advantages of adopting an approach specific to Wales to enhance resilience systems.
- Consider the best way for Wales implement the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 report recommendations
Co-chairs of the special purpose committee, Tom Giffard MS and Joyce Watson MS, said the pandemic was a “painful and traumatic experience for many in Wales”.
In a statement, they said: “We are extremely grateful for the insights and experiences shared by everyone who assisted us with our work, including our public consultation and stakeholder event.
“We have detailed our conclusions and highlighted each area we believe requires further examination.”
The Senedd will be asked approve this further inquiry on 2 April.
Should agreement be reached, the committee will proceed with developing Wales-specific scrutiny initiatives, building upon the hearings conducted by the UK-wide Inquiry.
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