Sturgeon: Crown Office must decide on scope of Covid inquiry

Nicola Sturgeon says the Lord Advocate must set the terms of reference for a public inquiry into the official response to the pandemic.

The first minister wants the inquiry to begin this year and says, if elected, it will be a priority for an SNP government.

She has resisted mounting calls for Scotland to launch its own investigation while seeking a UK-wide inquiry but says, if that does not happen, she will, if elected, begin a probe north of the border.

And, in a letter to human rights group Amnesty International, the first minister says Lord Advocate James Wolffe must determine the scope of a probe at the appropriate time.

However, the Crown Office led by Wolffe said a public inquiry is a matter for ministers.

We told how 22 civil society groups representing some of the most vulnerable Scots and led by Amnesty International wrote to the first minister calling for an inquiry. That call has been backed by leading scientists, care home operators and families of victims.

Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International’s Scotland Programme director, said: “Once the election has concluded, we expect a firm timeline to be confirmed for this public inquiry without further delay.”