UK inquiry “barely scratching the surface” – Wales “deserves” its own inquiry, says Plaid Cymru

Responding to the UK Covid Inquiry evidence sessions with Welsh Government officials and Ministers, where then Health Minister Vaughan Gething MS admitted he had not read the report that resulted from the Cygnus Exercise into preparing for pandemic flu, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for health and care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:

“It is clear from the evidence heard to date that the pandemic planning in Wales was seriously inadequate, and there was much Welsh Government could and should have done to enable us to be better prepared.

“World experts were warning of an influenza style pandemic – even Hollywood made a film about it! If Hollywood knew about it, then I would expect Welsh Government to have read anything that would have helped them better prepare for a global pandemic. The Exercise Cygnus Report – with ‘Pandemic Influenza’ on the front cover is one such example.

“Plaid Cymru has been clear since the early days of the pandemic that the decisions made in Wales should be scrutinised in Wales. The fact we’re barely scratching the surface in this UK Covid Inquiry points again to the fact that we deserve our own, Wales-specific Covid inquiry.”