Ex-High Court judge Baroness Hallett to chair Covid inquiry

Former High Court judge Baroness Hallett is to chair the inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic, Boris Johnson has announced.

The crossbench peer presided over the inquests into the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005 and she was the first woman to chair the Bar Council.

The inquiry, whose full remit has not yet been revealed, will get under way next spring.

Baroness Hallett promised to consult fully the families of Covid victims.

"The pandemic has affected us all, some much worse than others," she said. "I am acutely conscious of the suffering it has caused to so many.

"I want to assure the British public that... I shall do my utmost to ensure the Inquiry answers as many questions as possible about the UK's response to the pandemic, so that we can all learn lessons for the future."

More than 146,000 people in the UK have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test since the pandemic began early last year.

On Tuesday, the UK recorded 59,610 new Covid cases, the highest number since January, along with 150 deaths.

Matt Fowler, co-founder of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, welcomed Baroness Hallett's appointment as a "positive step".

"This is a one-off, historic opportunity to learn lessons to protect lives across the country," he added. "We cannot afford to get it wrong and we look forward to working closely with Baroness Hallett to make it a success."

Mr Johnson said of Baroness Hallett: "She brings a wealth of experience to the role and I know shares my determination that the inquiry examines in a forensic and thoroughgoing way the government's response to the pandemic."

The UK government is working with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the scope of the inquiry.

In a report published earlier this year, the Institute for Government think tank said: "The inquiry needs to focus first on establishing the exact state of knowledge of ministers and officials when significant decisions were made.

"Only then can it fairly consider the reasonableness of those decisions and make recommendations about how the government needs to change as a result."

Scotland plans to start its own inquiry into the pandemic later this year.

Baroness Hallett had been appointed as the chair of the public inquiry into the into the death of Dawn Sturgess in July 2018 following exposure to the nerve agent Novichok, but a new chair will now be found.