The government has been accused of attempting to block disclosures over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic as the Covid Inquiry starts its investigative phase today.
Baroness Hallett, the inquiry chair, is set to open proceedings on Thursday and share more information about its timetable and how she intends to be run.
But according to Bloomberg, officials have asked a top government lawyer to assess how much information must be provided to investigators about its policy discussions during the pandemic.
Sources with knowledge of the discussions told the news outlet that Sir James Eadie QC has advised the cabinet to limit the scope of information provided to the inquiry.
He reportedly also warned ministers that they are likely to face claims for damages from the bereaved families of Covid victims.
On Wednesday, families who lost loved ones during the pandemic demanded to play a central role in the inquiry - which would allow them to give evidence, ask questions, access all disclosed documents, and recommend people to be interviewed.
Officials are still determining how the listening exercise will function alongside the main inquiry and what shape it will take.
