The former education Secretary during Covid Gavin Williamson has apologised for the way school closures were handled during the pandemic.
He told the Covid Inquiry today that it was a ‘panicked decision made without children’s interests front and centre’.
He also said he was sorry the DfE had not been sharp enough in its response.
“The weight wasn’t put on to that emerging scientific evidence that did clearly prove to be right,” he said.
“And the whole focus and emphasis of the Government wasn’t probably sharp enough in terms of dealing with that, and that was the case in my department, which I’m sorry for, because I readily accept that I was secretary of state and it was my responsibility,” he added.
Giving evidence he told the Inquiry that the government paper on school closures in England was commissioned and drafted overnight and suggested last-minute decisions were often made by the then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
