Committee publication · Correspondence · 24 March 2026
Letter from Mark Isherwood MS, Chair, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, Welsh Parliament, on implementation monitoring of public inquiry recommendations, dated 13.3.26
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Inquiry into the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry (Stage 1)
Summary
Mark Isherwood MS, Chair of the Welsh Parliament's Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee (PAPAC), responds to PACAC's inquiry into implementation monitoring of public inquiry recommendations. The letter outlines how the Senedd scrutinises UK public inquiry recommendations affecting devolved areas and Welsh bodies, citing examples including COVID-19, Grenfell, IICSA, and Infected Blood inquiries, and detailing PAPAC's own 27 recommendations following Module 1 of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.
Key findings
- Welsh Parliament employs multiple scrutiny mechanisms for UK public inquiry recommendations in devolved areas: committee-led follow-up inquiries, Plenary debates, ministerial scrutiny, and written/oral questions.
- PAPAC's scrutiny of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Module 1 produced 27 recommendations, including continuation of scrutiny for remaining modules into the next Senedd term.
- Welsh Senedd committees have questioned ministers on implementing recommendations from IICSA, Grenfell Inquiry, and Infected Blood Inquiry as part of wider legislative and oversight processes.
- Welsh Government declined to commission an independent public inquiry into devolved institutions' pandemic response, prompting Senedd to establish its own Wales COVID-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee in May 2023.
- PAPAC emphasises the importance of monitoring implementation of public inquiry recommendations and ensuring lessons are learned widely to prevent recurrence of serious failings.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Mark Isherwood MS, Simon Hoare MP, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee (PAPAC), Welsh Parliament, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC), UK Parliament, Welsh Government, Health and Social Care Committee (Senedd), Housing and Local Government Committee (Senedd)
Notable line
“We felt that it was important to look further at the extent to which the Welsh Government has responded to the findings and recommendations of Module 1 …”
Key Quotes
“… where public inquiries cover devolved areas or include recommendations directed at the Welsh Government or public bodies in Wales that the Senedd has an important scrutiny role.”
“We made 27 recommendations, among which is for this programme of scrutiny to continue into the next Senedd term so that each of the remaining inquiry modules are subject to thorough, transparent and timely examination by the Senedd.”
“We note the importance of monitoring the appropriate implementation of recommendations arising from public inquiries and that lessons are learned more widely — where relevant — to prevent recurrence of serious failings.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗