Hold a Public Inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 crisis

The Government should hold a Public Inquiry to Confirm what decisions were made around preventing the spread of the coronavirus and protection of the UK population, and how this was balanced with the level of health care services available and effects on the economy.

COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the UK, together with nations around the world, has faced in decades. The Government, the NHS, the public and private sectors, and many more, have been working day and night in the fight against the virus.

The Government has said consistently that there will be a moment to look back and learn lessons from our response to this unprecedented pandemic. The Prime Minister also confirmed this will mean an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. But currently - as we still continue to work to keep the virus under control, thanks to the sacrifices millions of members of the public have made - the Government is rightly focused on protecting public health and saving lives.

The important thing - the right thing - is not to lose focus but to continue to respond to the current dynamic and developing situation and on the important progress we are making, such as on new treatments and helping the economy bounce back. The Government set out its strategic response to COVID-19 in “Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy” - available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governmentscovid-19-recovery-strategy/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy.

The Government has been clear from the outset that its approach has been guided by science and the Government continues to rely on and consult the latest scientific developments in order to make decisions. Government Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have pointed to this during their daily press conferences setting out the response and approach to date.

The Government is committed to transparency and on a regular basis publishes data that underpins its decision making, this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. The Government will continue to share documents with Parliament and the public when it is appropriate to do so.

The fact that this is a new virus means a key feature of the response, from the start, has inherently been a continuous and active process of learning, reviewing, adapting and responding as we discover more about how the virus works in light of the latest science and available data. Relevant information about the role of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), including its role in the response, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-foremergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

Cabinet Office

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (Hold a Public Inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 crisis)