Mark Drakeford blames Brexit and lack of funding for Covid setbacks

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford says the UK government «didn't give us any money at all». for pandemic response plans. Credit: UK Covid-19 Inquiry/YouTube/PA

Wales' Labor First Minister blamed Brexit and Westminster's lack of funding for Covid failures.

Mark Drakeford told Covid researchers that the UK government «hasn't gave us money» for additional responsibilities that have been taken over by the Welsh Government in recent years under the Contingency Act, which included pandemic response plans.

The investigation revealed that in 2018 the Welsh Government was given responsibility for a number of functions that were then assigned to UK ministers.

This included maintaining its own “risk register”, a document that ensures that the public is kept informed about “ the most significant risks» that the government assesses could arise.

But Mr Drakeford said this «transfer» to the Welsh Government was not «accompanied by a transfer of funding», as is usually the case.

p>

“So funding had to be found from broader Welsh Government sources that would otherwise be used for other purposes,” he said.

“No additional funding for new posts.”

Mr Drakeford said that created eight new positions in the Welsh government to «enable us to fulfill these new responsibilities». .

«But they were financed — not with new money, as you might expect — but with money that had already been transferred to Wales to perform functions that the Welsh government already had.»

Asked if additional staff in charge of the pandemic response plan would have increased funding, Mr Drakeford said: “[It] is a very difficult question to be sure, given that they didn’t give us any money at all. We would cut our coats to our fabric.”

Hugo Keith, KC, lead investigator adviser, told Mr Drakeford that his government had lobbied for new powers and thus «presumably» ensured that the Welsh government was «ready to carry out the new functions it would be allowed to carry out». to comply.”

Concerned about the implications of Brexit

Mr Drakeford later testified on Tuesday that when he became First Minister in 2018 — the same year that the Welsh Government took control of its risk register – he was concerned about the consequences of Brexit, which dominated his first cabinet meeting.

He told the investigation: “Four days after he became first minister, almost the entire meeting of our cabinet was devoted to preparing for a no-deal exit from the EU.

“The system has already set its sights very firmly on the danger, which was right in front of you.”

Von Getting, former Welsh Health Minister and current Economics Minister, also testified and admitted that he had not read a number of documents relating to pandemic preparedness. instead relied on briefings.

Mr Geting admitted when asked about several key documents he had during the pandemic and had not read the Welsh Major Infectious Disease Emergency Management Concept, the Pan-Wales Response Plan and the Wales Public Risk Register.< /p>

Asked if he could have done more as health minister to prepare for the pandemic, Mr Geting said: “Looking back, I think it’s fair to say that if I had spent more time on this as Minister, then I could well speed up the readiness.

Andrew R. T. Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: «As evidenced by the testimony of former Labor Health Minister Wogan Geting, he did not read any of the relevant articles to put there is a pandemic plan.

“Drakeford's evasive tactics won't work. The failure to adequately prepare Wales for the pandemic falls on the shoulders of labor secretaries in Senedd.

“Don't forget that Keir Starmer points to Wales as the blueprint for how he will govern the UK. Government.