Welsh Conservative leader asks if Covid inquiry has requested Mark Drakeford's WhatsApps

WS070121 MARK DRAKEFORD
As the row continues over Boris Johnson's WhatsApps, the Welsh Conservative leader has asked the Covid inquiry if it's demanded Mark Drakeford's messages too. Credit: PA

WhatsApp messages from the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, could be included as part of the Covid Inquiry.

It comes as the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces a deadline of 4pm Thursday afternoon to share Boris Johnson's messages with Baroness Hallett's team, who are leading the inquiry.

The Covid-19 inquiry wants to see all of the former prime minister's documents from when he was leading the pandemic response.

The inquiry confirmed it had also asked for communications and documents from the Welsh Government, which should include things like WhatsApp messages.

It follows a letter from the Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, to Baroness Hallett asking if the UK Covid Inquiry chair had requested WhatsApp messages from the First Minister to Welsh Government officials.

Retired Court of Appeal judge Baroness Hallett is chairing the public inquiry. Credit: UK Parliament/PA

Boris Johnson has urged the UK Government to release them and has said he'd be willing to do so if asked but Number 10 is so far resisting.

The documents, made up of WhatsApp messages, notebooks and diaries, include text conversations between the former PM and high-profile figures, including Mr Sunak.

A Scotland-only Inquiry has made a similar request for the WhatsApp messages of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Here, Mark Drakeford has refused to set up a Wales-only inquiry into the pandemic's handling, insisting that decisions his government took will be scrutinised by the UK Inquiry.

A "special purposes" committee has also been established in the Senedd to look into areas not scrutinised by the Hallett team.

Andrew RT Davies has now written to Baroness Hallett, saying: "I am writing to you in relation to your Inquiry’s recent request to obtain unredacted messages sent via Whatsapp and other communications forms between the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other UK Government colleagues.

"The UK Cabinet Office has thus far refused to release this information, claiming it is'unambiguously irrelevant' to the Inquiry.

"As your Inquiry is also examining the response of the devolved administrations to the pandemic, I would be grateful if you would confirm if a similar request to obtain unredacted material has been made of the Welsh First Minister and other Welsh Government officials. If so, I would be grateful if you would confirm if the Welsh Government has agreed to provide this information, or if it has taken a similar approach to that of the UK Government."

The UK Covid Inquiry says that its wide-ranging request would include communications such as WhatsApp messages.

The process is what it refers to as a “Rule 9 request” which is a “formal request for documents, and in many cases, witness statements.

Rule 9 requests have gone to the Welsh Government and a huge range of other organisations such as the Welsh Local Government Association, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, Children’s Commissioner, Victims Commissioner, Ministry of Justice and health chiefs.

There have also been Rule 9 requests to “individuals such as senior civil servants within the Welsh Government” and special advisers.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We continue to work closely with the Inquiry team to respond fully to all requests for information."

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