5. Submissions on Behalf of Scottish Ministers by Mr Mitchell

Mr Mitchell: Good morning, my Lady.

Lady Hallett: Mr Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell: My name is Geoffrey Mitchell. I appear today on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. That is, the body responsible for the direction and actions of the Scottish Government. We are grateful to have this opportunity to address the Inquiry this morning.

Our submission is a brief one, but we nevertheless thought it important that the Inquiry did hear from the Scottish Government, important for two reasons: important because the government played the central role in the handling of the pandemic in Scotland. And important, secondly, because the government is likely to be the main provider of documents in relation to Module 2A of the UK Inquiry.

My theme is one of commitment and co-operation. Commitment to the Inquiry process, and thereby to the people of Scotland; and co-operation and collaboration with the Inquiry team to assist it in the fulfilment of its goals.

On behalf of the Scottish Ministers, we would like to take this opportunity to confirm their commitment to co-operate fully with the Inquiry as it investigates the unprecedented impact and challenges posed by the pandemic on the Scottish people and on the wider UK population over the past 31 months.

Scottish Ministers are acutely aware – acutely aware – of the many types of loss suffered by the population over this period. They completely understand that the people of Scotland would like answers to the many questions that bear upon the government’s handling of the pandemic. The ministers are committed to that process.

They are equally committed to the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry which will run parallel to the UK Inquiry. This dual commitment is a significant one, but it is one that the government has freely taken on. It has sponsored the setting up of the Scottish Inquiry, and it has sought core participant status in Module 1, Module 2 thus far, and Module 2A. It would not have done this if it did not feel it could fulfil its obligations.

Mindful of the timetable that my Lady has set for the Inquiry, we anticipate and feel confident that a spirit of co-operation and collaboration between the Inquiry and those representing the ministers will allow the government to fulfil its obligations to the Inquiry and to allow the Inquiry to report on time.

I and my team of counsel enjoy good working relationships with Mr Dawson and Mr Tariq from our time at the Bar, and lines of communication have already been opened up between the wider Inquiry team and those representing the ministers.

In addition, the memorandum of understanding which we have heard much about today is welcomed by ministers, designed as it is to avoid, so far as that is possible, duplication of effort.

In conclusion, as my Lady observed at the preliminary hearing for Module 1, we have an enormous task in front of us, but she may rest assured that the Inquiry will receive the full support of the Scottish Ministers in achieving that task, and completing it.

My Lady, I will doubtless have more to say at a later date in this module, but unless there is anything that I can assist my Lady with now, then that is all I propose to say, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have made this submission.

Lady Hallett: Thank you very much indeed, Mr Mitchell.

I wholeheartedly welcome the expressions of commitment and co-operation. As you obviously appreciate and, by the sounds of it, your clients appreciate we’re only going to make a difference, both this Inquiry and the Scottish Inquiry, with the full co-operation and commitment that you have expressed on the part of co-participants and providers of documents.

So I’m very grateful, and so far I’ve been very impressed by the level of commitment and co-operation that’s been offered to the Inquiry, so I hope we can together make a difference.

Thank you very much indeed.

Mr Mitchell: Thank you.

Lady Hallett: I think that completes the number of people who wish to make any comments.

Do you have any closing remarks, Mr Dawson?