Covid inquiry chair defends cost and length of process on final day
In a statement at the end of the proceedings on Thursday, Baroness Hallett said: "There are people who believe it is time to move on from the pandemic and they question the worth of this inquiry. "I hope that when they read about the extent of the suffering that we've heard and see the results of the inquiry's work, they will appreciate the huge scale of loss caused by Covid 19 and they will understand better why this inquiry was established."Baroness Hallett said over 600,000 documents had been received and reviewed as part of the inquiry, and more than 350 witnesses had been called to give evidence.She also said the terms of reference given to her by Boris Johnson when he was prime minister were the "broadest of any public inquiry to date".And she urged the public to push for changes she recommended ahead of any future pandemic."If implemented, my recommendations should reduce the number of deaths, reduce the suffering and reduce the social and economic cost," she said.
