Frequently Asked Questions relating to the Government & Prime Minister's role in the Covid Inquiry
Q: Do we yet know if the Government will be interrogated for ignoring the pandemic planning exercises carried out in the recent years before Covid? Specifically, there was one that modelled a SARS-Cov type viral pandemic.
A: This will be covered in the preparedness section of the Terms of Reference, which will also look into what policies/exercises were in place for a pandemic.
Q. Will the Inquiry look into the Government guidance and how people interpreted it?
A. We would expect it to look at the guidance and to a limited extent at how it was interpreted.
Q. Will there be any missing evidence now that Matt Hancock has had to step down?
A. There shouldn't be, but government ministers have been using a phone app which deletes messages so there may well be. Only once an Inquiry is formally set up is there a prohibition on destruction of evidence.
Q. Will the issue of the 2020 Christmas parties be included in the scope of the Inquiry? also, can key people be ordered to attend?
A. We will ask for this issue to be considered under the topic of Government messaging.
Q. If the national Inquiry (and any inquiries at the devolved level) discover anything that demonstrates there was a national failing at the heart of government, can the inquiry bring the Prime Minister/First Ministers to answer their questions?
A. The short answer is yes, those found to be responsible for failures can be brought before the judge to answer questions.
Q: What impact will the PM transition have (if any) on the Inquiry?
A: Johnson loses responsibility as soon as he steps down. The new PM will almost certainly be the Minister responsible.
Q. Will the Inquiry ask the Prime Minister why he repeatedly broke the rules that he enforced on the country?
A. Yes, the Prime Minister should hopefully be questioned during the Inquiry. If the Chair's legal team does not question him about this, our team will ask to do so. That said, ultimately it is up to the Chair who is called and what questions are put to them.
If you have lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to join the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group. We're representing the bereaved families group in the upcoming Covid Inquiry, without any cost to them. Join the group today.
To find out more about how to instruct free legal representation, find answers to commonly asked questions and more, visit our Covid Inquiry page.