Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales
In the latest stage in its development, the Prime Minister has published the draft terms of reference for the Covid-19 public inquiry (external link), following a period in which the Welsh Government, together with the other devolved governments have been consulted about the terms of reference before their publication.
In advance of their publication, the Welsh Government has made concerted representations to the Prime Minister to ensure the experiences of people in Wales will be properly and thoroughly reflected in the inquiry and that the decisions made by the Welsh Government and other Welsh public services are properly scrutinised by the inquiry team.
I have met representatives from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice (Cymru) group to discuss the inquiry and terms of reference. Their experiences and comments were also directly reflected in our representations to the Prime Minister about the terms of reference.
A period of consultation on the terms of reference, which will be led by the chair of the inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, will begin shortly. I would encourage everyone to take part in this process and provide their feedback.
The Welsh Government will further respond to this latest public phase of consultation to ensure the experiences of people in Wales are properly heard by the inquiry.