The barrister representing the Local Government Association (LGA) has rebutted evidence given to the Covid Inquiry by former health and social care secretary Matt Hancock concerning their preparedness for the pandemic.

In his evidence last month, Hancock said plans to protect care homes during the pandemic were “terrible”. The former minister said only two councils had plans in place, adding the government lacked basic knowledge, including how many care homes there were in the UK.

Giving his evidence on behalf of the LGA this week, Robin Allen KC, said: “My clients simply do not understand the evidence of former secretary of state for health, Mr Hancock, who stated that only two councils had plans for pandemic flu, a suggestion they do not believe to be accurate at all.

“And similarly they believe the department had and has far more levers to understand, oversee and to shape social care provision than his evidence suggested.

“To find out the extent of adult social care provision, all he had to do was to speak to the Care Quality Commission with which providers must be registered, or with directors of adult social services, who commissioned care services.”

Allen said local authorities should be “at the core of all future resilience planning” and “must be treated as a trusted and equal partner by central government”.

The barrister’s comments came at the conclusion of module one of the hearings assessing preparedness for the pandemic.

Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett said a report on the module could be published by early summer 2024.

Module two of the Inquiry on decision making and political governance is due to begin in October.

The social care module of the inquiry is not expected to take place until 2025.