Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) questioned former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, during Module 8 of the Covid-19 Inquiry on 21 October 2025. Module 8 has examined the impact of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The DPO challenged Johnson on the lack of consideration given to Disabled children and young people in pandemic planning and asserted that there should have been more focus and action on their social care, health and therapy needs, given it was clear that school closures would have an immediate and devastating impact on the provision of care and support to meet their needs.
Johnson was not able to recall any concrete measures which were put in place to ensure the needs of vulnerable children, including Disabled children, were met and instead referred back to a document which he had previously conceded did not deal with vulnerable children.
Shamik Dutta, Caleb Simpson, Rachel Cope-Thompson, Richard Matheson and Tabitha Oakley Brown at Bhatt Murphy represent Disability Rights UK, Disability Action Northern Ireland and Disability Wales in Module 8 of the Covid-19 Inquiry, instructing Danny Friedman KC of Matrix Chambers and Kate Beattie and Dr Alice Irving of Doughty Street Chambers.
Watch DPO’s questioning here. (Starts from 2:25:13).
