13. Submissions on Behalf of the Welsh Government by Ms Curtain

Lady Hallett: Have you got a green light?

(Pause)

Ms Curtain: It’s on, thank you.

Lady Hallett: Got you.

Ms Curtain: My Lady, prynhawn da, good afternoon, Hannah Curtain on behalf of the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Government is grateful for the opportunity to participate in Module 6 and grateful for the opportunity to make these brief oral submissions. As in all other modules, the Welsh Government offers its full co-operation and support for your Inquiry’s work in examining the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector in Wales.

My Lady, the Welsh Government recognises that Module 6 will require the investigation of difficult questions. Service users of the care sector include some of the most vulnerable individuals in society and the Welsh Government recognises the particular suffering and loss that was experienced by those individuals and by their loved ones during the pandemic.

The Welsh Government would restate its deep sympathy to those who lost loved ones or who otherwise suffered during the pandemic.

Similarly, the care sector was supported during the pandemic by the individuals who worked tirelessly and with great courage and dedication to continue to provide care to those who needed it, and that includes those individuals who were employed in the sector and unpaid carers and volunteers.

The Welsh Government would restate its profound gratitude to those individuals for their committed service and for the many personal sacrifices that were required to continue to work under that exceptional strain.

It is entirely right that Module 6 should examine both the experience of those individuals and the broad range of decisions that were taken by the Welsh Government and by others in relation to the management of the pandemic in the care sector.

The Welsh Government would emphasise that it fully recognises the importance of that scrutiny and, indeed, it welcomes that scrutiny, which will enable lessons to be learned for the future.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing every assistance that it can to the Inquiry to allow for that investigation to take place.

My Lady, diolch, thank you.

Lady Hallett: Thank you, Ms Curtain.

Anything by way of response?

Ms Carey: Only this, my Lady: whether it’s a leaky roof or a structurally weak wall, the scale of the Module 6 task, listening to today’s submissions, is unenviable, and I know that you will want to consider the eloquent and thoughtful submissions you heard with real care.

All raise important matters and provide you with much to think about, but that must be balanced as against the very real need to focus on the key issues and the key recommendations and the competing demands not just within Module 6 but across the Inquiry as a whole, and so I have no doubt that you will in due course issue a determination to the core participants once you have had a chance to think about all that’s been said today and written.

Lady Hallett: Thank you very much, Ms Carey. I think no more construction analogies.

Ms Carey: No.

Lady Hallett: Thank you all very much indeed.

I want to repeat my thanks: the submissions today have been very constructive and instructive and, as

Ms Carey says, I shall consider them all with great

care.

I should also like to commend the entire team for

their timekeeping. I think you are the first module

list of participants who have managed to come in under

time rather than over time.

So thank you all very much for being so efficient

and focused and, as I say, as Ms Carey says, I shall

issue a determination once I’ve had a chance to consider

all the matters that you’ve raised.

Thank you very much. I think the next substantive

hearing is Belfast on April 30, but I think I may have

another preliminary hearing before then.

Thank you all.

(2.40 pm)

(The hearing concluded)