Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 19 October 2021.
Llywydd, I'm completely committed to there being proper scrutiny of decisions that were made here in Wales, an inquiry into them and accountability as a result. I'm not persuaded that overlapping and competing inquiries will give the best answers for people who need those answers. While the Prime Minister—while his Prime Minister—continues to offer me the assurances that experiences here in Wales will get the attention they need and deserve and will do so within the wider context that only a UK inquiry can investigate, then I'm prepared to continue with the agreement that I struck with the Prime Minister at the outset. There are still some important tests for the UK Government, and they're coming in the short term. The Prime Minister has said to bereaved families that he will appoint a chair of that inquiry this side of Christmas. I expect First Ministers of other UK nations to be involved in that appointment. If I read about it in a press release, or I'm told about it half an hour before it is issued, then the sense of genuine involvement and a genuine opportunity to have the Welsh dimension scrutinised as it needs to be in that inquiry will inevitably be under question.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister assured me that devolved Governments would be properly engaged and involved in that appointment, in the terms of reference, in the working practices of the UK inquiry, and I look forward to that being borne out in practice.