The Welsh Assembly Member for Aberconwy - Janet Finch-Saunders AM - has today (17 April) spoken at 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 30 March, 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, Janet 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 we will continue to constructively hold the Welsh Labour Government to account throughout the COVID-19 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 remain open and transparent in the decisions they are taking.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
