The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Covid inquiry set to start
The Scottish Covid-19 inquiry will formally start in July this year, families who lost loved ones to the disease have been told.
The Scottish Covid Bereaved group welcomed a “candid” meeting yesterday with one of the senior counsel to the inquiry.
The group said they found Stuart Gale KC “kind, compassionate and full of genuine empathy” and hailed the day as another “important milestone”.
The families were told the Scottish inquiry will formally start in July this year with expert evidence and full hearings to follow in October, the group’s lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Brailsford, was set up to investigate the devolved strategic response to the pandemic in Scotland between January 1 2020 and December 31 2022.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Covid-19 inquiries for the UK and Scotland will work alongside each other to avoid any duplication of evidence-gathering and reporting results.
A statement issued on behalf of the Scottish Covid Bereaved group by Mr Anwar said: “Lord Brailsford was appointed after the resignation of the previous chair following a difficult period, where the
inquiry appeared to falter, then stall.
“From the very first meeting, Lord Brailsford won the confidence of the Scottish Covid Bereaved group through his compassion and empathy. The inquiry has moved at a pace since Lord Brailsford’s appointment.
“Today was another important milestone for Scotland’s inquiry on the eve of the UK inquiry beginning next month.
“The families who are
key stakeholders welcomed the candid meeting today with Stuart Gale KC. Mr Gale showed himself to be kind, compassionate and full of genuine empathy as Lord Brailsford was.
“Mr Gale promised that he will not be reticent in asking difficult questions, he will be independent, doing his job without fear or favour, adopting a human rights philosophy, whilst placing the families front and centre of the inquiry.”
In March, it was announced that the Scottish inquiry will adopt a thematic approach, covering three areas: health and social care; education and young people; and finance, business and welfare.
For each of these themes, the inquiry will first look at the impact of the pandemic, then the implementation of measures and, finally, the key decision-making.
The Scottish Covid Bereaved group said:
“Covid-19 is something that everyone in Scotland has lived through, for many it was an inconvenience, but the hardship and suffering imposed by the pandemic was not equally spread, for the families we represent it was a horrific and traumatic experience.
“The bereaved families have fought for a public inquiry that will be an effective robust mechanism to ensure that what has happened to them will not happen again.”