Covid-19 Inquiry opens second investigation into government decision-making

The Covid-19 Inquiry has opened its second investigation to investigate political and administrative decision-making of the UK and also in the devolved governments, with the main focus in the early part of the pandemic in 2020. Decisions taken by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, as advised by the Civil Service, senior political, scientific and medical advisers will be scrutinised, and preliminary hearings will take place from late Autumn 2022. The application process for those wishing to become Core Participants closed on 23 September. The advantage of Core Participant status is that to give the opportunity to access evidence relevant to this investigation, to make opening and closing statements at Inquiry hearings and to suggest lines of questioning to Inquiry counsel.