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Good morning and welcome.

I'll bring you news about the rest of the show a little later.

But for now, right now, we're going over to the COVID inquiry

where former health secretary Matt Hancock has just taken the stand.

For the purposes of, for those who may be listening to Mr. Hancock's evidence, I'm going to make clear that

your appearance today is obviously concerned with the discharge of your functions as the Minister

for the Cabinet Office and as Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social

Care pre-pandemic.

Yes.

We are concerned today only with the issues of emergency planning and preparedness.

And so may I make clear that I will not be asking you questions about the detail of non-pharmaceutical

interventions, lockdowns, the government's response or the test and trace or procurement

or PPE issues which arose after the pandemic struck.

May I then...

They will come in later modules just so they will all be in later modules, particularly module two

in the autumn for which Mr. Hancock

has already provided a draft statement.

EPRR pandemic planning.

The functions of the Secretary of State, Mr. Hancock, in relation to pandemic planning, are

wide-ranging and complex, are they not? There is quite a lot to be concerned with in this field.

Yes, and that is in addition to the very broad responsibilities overall as Secretary of State.

...