Progress on the Public Inquiry into the E.Coli Outbreak in South Wales

I am pleased to report progress to date on the Public Inquiry into the E.Coli outbreak, which is being chaired by Professor Hugh Pennington.

Following the Assembly’s resolution to cause an inquiry to be held under the Inquiries Act 2005, I announced on 9 February 2006 the appointment of the Secretary to the Inquiry. Members will know from the copy of the announcement circulated to them in advance that the Secretary appointment is a critical part of the Inquiry process as there is much to be done to ensure that everything is in place for the Inquiry to do its job efficiently and effectively.

Much has happened in the six weeks since the Secretary was appointed. I am pleased to say that Mr Duncan Henderson has been appointed as the Solicitor to the Inquiry on secondment from the Treasury Solicitor’s Department. He will be joining the Inquiry Team full time on 3 April 2006 but is already involved in some of the preliminary work. Having previously worked on two other inquiries, he brings to ours a wealth of experience and expertise. Action to identify and appoint a suitable Senior Counsel to the Inquiry is also already underway and an appointment is anticipated before the end of April.

Both legal appointments are fundamental to the Inquiry’s programme of work and to our shared commitment for a transparent and thorough inquiry. Having people with the right experience will ensure the Inquiry can dig deep into the issues, which will mean the public can have full confidence in its work.  Finding the right people takes time but as you can see, things are already moving quickly.  

A start has also been made on drafting the documents the Inquiry needs to publish in line with its obligations under the Inquiries Act. They include the procedures the Inquiry will adopt in conducting its business, its approach to the public funding of legal representation for witnesses, and the list of specific issues it will investigate.  

The specific issues to be investigated, on which the Inquiry will seek evidence, are particularly important. Professor Pennington welcomed the terms of reference the Assembly recommended for the Inquiry as they enable him to pursue whatever lines of inquiry he considers necessary. However, he is also acutely aware of the need to focus on the real issues in order to get to the bottom of the matters in question and to ensure that the Inquiry makes the best possible use of its time and resources.

A web site for the Inquiry is also being developed. Although only one of the ways in which the Inquiry will keep people in touch with its work, it is an important means of communication. It will: enable people to engage with the Inquiry; inform the public on its timetable and progress; and allow the public to access evidence and other relevant information.

In addition to the above developments, an extensive programme of work is in hand to put in place the necessary support arrangements. This includes the use of up to date technology for handling information and evidence and making it available to the public as part of the oral hearings.

The Inquiry is adopting a robust approach using good practice identified in other inquiries, with whatever steps are necessary to ensure it can get to the bottom of the outbreak. At the same time however, its approach will be sensitive to those who will be involved in it, particularly the families that were affected by the outbreak.

Consideration is already being given to the timings of a Preliminary Hearing, the issue of requests for written statements from witnesses and to the arrangements that will be needed for the oral hearings of evidence to take place. A provisional timetable for the Inquiry will be published in due course but I know from previous discussions that it is recognised that account will have to be taken of issues that might impact on the work of the Inquiry, such as the ongoing police investigation.

Action to firm up the Inquiry’s timetable and to gather information that will inform later requests for written and oral evidence has already started but will increase in pace from the beginning of April when the Inquiry Solicitor becomes a full time member of the Inquiry Team.

I have already mentioned some of the ways in which the Inquiry will keep the public in touch with its work. We are all particularly mindful of the need to keep the families who were affected by the outbreak in close touch with the Inquiry’s progress and to involve them in the process. Professor Pennington has already stated very clearly his commitment to do this in a letter to the solicitor representing the families and the E.Coli Support Group they have formed. It is very encouraging that good working links have already been established between the Inquiry Secretary and the families’ solicitor, who has reported positive feedback from families on being kept in touch so far.  Arrangements are currently being considered for parents to have the opportunity to meet Professor Pennington as another opportunity to update them on progress and to explain the inquiry process in more detail.

Arrangements for the Inquiry have come a long way in the last few weeks. Naturally, there is a need to balance expectations of a speedy inquiry on the one hand with the time necessary for a very thorough inquiry on the other. Professor Pennington is committed to leaving no stone unturned in the Inquiry’s search for answers and, importantly, for its recommendations to ensure that such an outbreak does not occur again. I know that this is very close to the heart of the families that were affected by the outbreak and it is also in line with the Assembly’s wishes.

The Inquiry Office is now operating from the Assembly’s offices in Cardiff Bay. The contact details for queries or for information about the Inquiry are:


Ceri Breeze - Secretary
E.Coli Public Inquiry
Room A.4.01
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff CF99 1NA

Tel: 029 2082 1889
Email: Ceri.Breeze@wales.gsi.gov.uk