Covid: Vaughan Gething told ministers he was deleting messages

Mr ap Iorwerth quoted Mr Gething’s evidence at the Covid inquiry where he said: “I understood that we’d kept and maintained all the information that we should do, and it would be made available to this inquiry.”

Plaid Cymru’s leader continued: “Does the first minister understand why people are asking today whether he committed perjury in giving that evidence under oath?”

Mr Gething said the message related “to a discussion within the Labour group, and about how people do and don’t talk to each other”.

“I reject completely the suggestion that I have not been honest with the Covid inquiry.”

Later he said he was “entirely relaxed” about a screenshot of the message being seen by the inquiry, and said a unredacted version would be shared with the inquiry.

Mr ap Iorwerth, referring to Mr Gething’s donation scandal, said: “Sadly the Senedd on all benches is losing faith in this first minister’s ability to lead without distractions. Seven weeks in and his leadership is about survival.”

Mr Gething said later: “I hope that when the member has a fuller picture of events, he will withdraw the obnoxious accusation he has made.”

He added: “I say again: I have provided all of the information available to me. I have not deleted information by text or WhatsApp to try to avoid scrutiny.”

At the Covid inquiry, on 11 March this year, Mr Gething said: “I understood that we’d kept and maintained all the information that we should do, and it would be made available to this inquiry.”

In a statement he had told the inquiry he had two Senedd phones. The first he had stopped using in July 2021 and which had its data transferred to a second phone.

The phone was returned for maintenance, he said in a witness statement, in June 2022, and was wiped.

The contents of the phone was backed up with the exception of text messages. “I did not realise that at the time,” he said.

A spokesperson for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry said: “These reports have been brought to the attention of the inquiry this morning.

“The inquiry is considering the information available and whether it is necessary to seek further evidence from Mr Gething.”