Watch as Northern Ireland’s former first minister gives evidence to Covid inquiry

Watch as former Northern Irish first minister Arlene Foster speaks to the UK Covid-19 inquiry on Tuesday 11 July.

She will be answering questions a day after Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer told the committee that Brexit preparations took staff away from pandemic planning.

Sir Michael McBride said the work of the Department of Health was also impacted by the lack of a Stormont Executive between 2017 and 2020.

His comments came as the inquiry continues to examine how prepared the UK was ahead of the coronavirus pandemic which struck in early 2020.

A lack of a health minister between 2017 and 2020 also hampered the department’s work, Sir Michael said, including the full implementation of the Bengoa Report which was designed to transform the health service.

“I think there is absolutely no doubt that the absence of ministers did have a significant impact on our ability to develop new policy,” he said.