Janet Finch-Saunders AM – the Shadow Social Care Minister – has today (April 17) spoken of her dismay at the lack of detail contained in Welsh Ministerial replies to Written Assembly Questions (WAQ).
Her condemnation comes as a growing number of Members receive a standard response to their WAQ submissions, stating only that “… the Minister will write as soon as possible and that this will be published online”.
It was also revealed this week that, in response to a WAQ submitted by Mrs Finch-Saunders on March 30, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething AM, replied:
“I do not currently have information on the number of care home residents who have contracted COVID-19 and have subsequently died or on the place of death.” (WAQ79728)
The Leader of the Official Opposition in the National Assembly for Wales, Paul Davies AM, has now written to the First Minister over growing concerns of the lack of scrutiny at this time of national emergency.
Commenting on the situation, Mrs Finch-Saunders said:
“I am appalled by the Welsh Government’s recent unhealthy aversion to scrutiny. Whilst I appreciate the tremendous strains that all Welsh Ministers are currently under, proper checks and balances must be upheld if we are to maintain confidence in our public institutions.
“With increased restrictions on Plenary contributions and a limit to how many written questions we can submit, it is recklessly irresponsible for Welsh Ministers to avoid submitting full and proper replies to questions.
“As the official opposition in the National Assembly, the Welsh Conservative Group has promised that it will continue to constructively hold the Welsh Labour Government to account throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
“With great swathes of public money at stake, including an additional funding package of £350 million for Wales, it is paramount that the Welsh Government remains open and transparent in the decisions it is taking.”
Notes for editors