Cefin Campbell MS Mid & West Wales

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales has supported calls for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry. 

During a debate held on Wednesday (15 December) Cefin Campbell MS was amongst half of the Senedd that voted in favour of a Wales-specific Covid inquiry, with opposition from Welsh Labour leading to a 28-28 deadlock which eventually saw the motion fall. 

The call for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry has previously gained support from across the political spectrum, including from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales.  

Unlike Scotland, where it has announced a judge-led Covid-19 inquiry will be established by the end of the year, Welsh Government Ministers are not planning an inquiry separate from the UK-wide one, which will be chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett.  

Speaking after the debate, Cefin Campbell MS said: 

“The pandemic has by far been the biggest challenge faced by any government for decades. I sincerely believe the Welsh Government has taken it responsibilities extremely seriously and on the whole has handled those challenges well. Its decisive but measured response has certainly helped save many lives and is in stark contrast to the chaotic handling of the pandemic by Boris Johnson and his Conservative government in Westminster.  

However, Welsh Government has also made mistakes, and many questions remain unanswered in so many aspects of its response to Covid-19, from testing, discharging patients from hospitals to care homes and the use of PPE to vaccinations, school closures and handling of major public events.  

I know in communities across Mid & West Wales, these questions remain extremely pertinent for many families who have lost loved ones or have faced long term illness because of the pandemic, which is why I have supported the call for a Wales-specific inquiry which would provide an opportunity to evaluate the actions taken, to acknowledge the mistakes made, and crucially learn from them. This exercise would not only provide answers to those families across Wales who have endured many personal losses but would also put us in a stronger position if we ever faced a similar crisis again. In my opinion a footnote or chapter in a UK wide inquiry will not provide the depth of understanding of the effectiveness of our response to the pandemic which we so badly need here in Wales.’’