Covid inquiry: Welsh government WhatsApps may have been deleted – BBC News

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, WhatsApp messages between UK officials and ministers have been a key part of recent evidence heard by the Covid inquiryBy David Deans and Adrian BrowneBBC Wales Some messages sent by people working in the Welsh government during the pandemic may have been deleted, the first minister has said.Mark Drakeford said he himself did not use WhatsApp, and would not know how to automatically delete texts.But he could not promise that messages were not lost before the government was aware of what the Covid inquiry wanted.Opposition parties said the comments were deeply concerning and alarming.The comments follow a row in Scotland over the deletion of messages.WhatsApp messages between UK officials and ministers have been a key part of recent evidence heard by the Covid inquiry.The Scottish government has been criticised for not handing over all relevant data and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has refused to say whether or not she had erased any messages.A submodule of the Covid inquiry looking at the response in Wales is expected to begin public hearings in February 2024.In the Senedd’s First Ministers Questions on Tuesday Mr Drakeford said the Welsh government had made an “early decision” to “disclose all
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