Lady Poole

In a statement to Parliament, Deputy First Minister John Swinney confirmed the appointment and published the terms of reference for the inquiry covering 12 areas of investigation.

The period covered by the inquiry will be from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022, but it will also consider pandemic planning undertaken prior to this.

Lady Poole said: “I am honoured to chair this independent public inquiry examining the strategic response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland. We have all been affected by this pandemic. There has been a major impact on every aspect of all our lives. The death of so many as a result of Covid-19 is a tragedy, and others have suffered in many different ways.

“The inquiry will work independently to establish the facts in an open and transparent way in order to determine what lessons can be learned for the future. There is a great deal to be done in a short space of time. I will continue to give considerable thought as to how best to conduct the inquiry to ensure it fully achieves its aims, including a careful and thorough examination of the terms of reference.

“My immediate focus will be on getting the right people in place to support me and establishing the necessary systems, processes and information flows needed to allow the inquiry to function efficiently and deliver as quickly as possible. Work has already begun on this.

“It is too early to be any more specific about how the inquiry will carry out its functions, other than to say that the arrangements for providing both written and oral evidence will be set out in due course once the initial establishment phase is completed. A bespoke website will be created, to provide information and publish updates as the inquiry progresses.

“I look forward to collaborating with my counterpart on the UK Covid-19 inquiry once that inquiry is established.”