Government urged to ‘be straight’ with bereaved families over Covid inquiry start date

Ministers have been urged to be “straight” with bereaved families over when the Covid-19 public inquiry will begin.

Retired Court of Appeal judge and crossbench life peer Baroness Heather Hallett will chair the investigation into the pandemic, but no formal start date has been announced.

Speaking in the House of Commons, shadow Cabinet Office minister Fleur Anderson (pictured) said spring is a “vague” timing and said it will be “incredibly difficult” to hold hearings and collect evidence by then.

She said: “I’m tired of coming back to this despatch box and reminding the minister of this but not having a date.

“I ask the ministers to be straight with me and, more important, to be straight with the bereaved families, who are very worried that this inquiry is not going to start in the spring, that we will not be hearing what’s happened during Covid and we will not be learning the lessons.

“Can the minister tell me today when the terms of reference will be passed to the chair for consultations to start? And when the inquiry hearings will formally begin?”

Cabinet Office minister Heather Wheeler replied: “As we are the UK Government, we are negotiating and discussing terms of reference with the devolved assemblies.

“When we receive their replies, then we can absolutely move this forward with Baroness Hallett. She is ready to go and the Prime Minister wants us to start as soon as possible. It will start by the spring.”

At business questions, Commons Leader Mark Spencer acknowledged mistakes have been made during the pandemic.

But he claimed: “I think history will judge the performance of the Government pretty well on Covid when you consider that all the big decisions that were made at the time by the Prime Minister – on going into lockdown, on delivering the vaccine, on delivering the booster programme and getting us out of Covid faster than any other country in G7 – I think is a record to be enormously proud of.”

Elsewhere in Cabinet Office questions, Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson asked whether value for money is provided by “three tax-funded photographers” for Downing Street who “chronicle the work and life of the Prime Minister, Cabinet members and even the Prime Minister’s pets”.

Cabinet Office minister Nigel Adams said: “It has been the case under successive governments that civil servants and special advisers provide assistance on communication. We employ photographers to capture them at work, including that which cannot be captured by a press photographer due to their sensitive nature.

“They are a cross-Government resource, supporting other Government departments and ministers, and they play a critical role in supporting the Government’s digital communications activity and progressing key policy areas.”

Former minister Dame Diana pressed the minister further, asking: “Well, that was a nice try, wasn’t it, to justify that.

“As I understand it, Downing Street is employing three tax-funded photographers to chronicle the work and life of the Prime Minister, Cabinet members and even the Prime Minister’s pets. So, given the cost of living crisis, and the rise in taxes for most families, is this really good value for taxpayers’ money having three photographers for Downing Street?”

Mr Adams replied: “It plays a key role in supporting modern Government communications on social media but, with respect, I will take no lectures on spin from Labour.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg, in his new ministerial brief for Brexit opportunities, said he has received 1,800 recommendations from “the wise readers of The Sun”.

SNP Cabinet Office spokesman Brendan O’Hara teased Mr Rees-Mogg in the Commons, congratulating him on his new title of “secretary of state for fantasy island”.

He said: “Such was the faith that he had in himself to find these Brexit opportunities that the first thing he did was to issue a ‘what would you do in my shoes?’ appeal to readers of a national newspaper, and I’m sure the suggestions for what you could do came thick and fast.

“What was the best suggestion he received, and will he be implementing it?”

Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I have received 1,800 recommendations from the wise readers of The Sun and I believe that the British people have an enormous amount of wisdom which politicians, particularly ones in Scotland, could benefit from.”

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