Rhodri Morgan, the Welsh first minister, has been warned by opposition politicians that they will force him to hold a public inquiry into the case of Robbie Powell, highlighted by Society Guardian on January 4 (Feature: Fatal flaws), if he does not announce one himself in the near future.

Conservative leader Nick Bourne sent every assembly member a copy of the Society Guardian story, which described how the 10-year-old Welsh boy's death in 1990 had been followed by revelations of negligence and forgery by doctors who cared for him, and of widespread failure by official bodies to unearth the truth.

Morgan has delayed making a decision, claiming first that he had to wait for the boy's inquest, which ended in April 2004, and, more recently, that he has to see evidence that has been withheld by Dyfed Powys police. Bourne says all opposition parties and independent MPs have agreed to force Morgan's hand if the delay continues. "We are not about to give up on Robbie Powell," he says.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is the latest organisation to admit it failed in its duty to Robbie's father. Last week, it apologised to Will Powell for failing to investigate complaints he lodged with it 19 months ago. The apology came after the IPCC wrote to the Guardian, claiming it had passed all Powell's complaints to Avon and Somerset police. When this was challenged, it withdrew its letter and admitted it had never contacted Avon and Somerset at all. A spokesman said: "We accept it should not need investigative journalists to get action taken on behalf of complainants."