Worringly the covid rate in parts of Wales is now eye-wateringly high.

This shocking revelation comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced his intention to launch next year a UK-wide inquiry into the decisions taken during the pandemic.

Given health is a devolved power—as we’ve constantly been reminded by Welsh Government ministers throughout the pandemic—that inevitably raises questions as to whether a similar inquiry will be held in Wales to explore the decisions made by the Welsh Government.

But to date, First Minister Mark Drakeford has refused to launch one...

This is certainly a colossal mistake because having been so vocal about the powers at their fingertips, why are Welsh Labour Ministers now ducking from scrutiny?

What are they hiding?

What don’t they want you—the people of Wales—to know about the decisions that were taken?

Clearly, Welsh Labour ministers are hoping that a mere chapter focusing on their actions in the UK-wide inquiry is enough.

Well, it isn’t because the Welsh Government’s decisions deserve much more scrutiny.

It’s a fact that Welsh Labour ministers at times introduced different measures from the UK government for tackling the pandemic in Wales, so now we need to have an inquiry to uncover the reasoning behind these decisions and just how effective they were.

It’s a tragedy that an estimated 5,575 people have succumbed to the disease in Wales, and behind that figure are husbands, wives, children, grandparents, and others who were adored by their loved ones.

And this week in the Senedd I met with the families of Covid victims, where I heard of many tragedies.

One person that I met was Sam Smith-Higgins, whose father died from hospital-acquired Covid aged 74, who desperately wants a Wales-wide inquiry.

It’s entirely understandable and right for Sam and other grieving families wanting a Wales-wide Covid inquiry to get answers for the decisions which were made in Wales.

But it’s a grave injustice that these families, who have been through hell, are now enduring added stresses because Ministers are refusing their calls.

Ensuring past mistakes are never repeated and learning of decisions that were effective are both essential for our future progress.

The time for talking is over, now is the time for robust action.