Holyrood Finance Committee Calls for Defined Budgets and Timeframes for Public Inquiries Amid Rising Costs
The Holyrood finance committee has urged that statutory public inquiries in Scotland be assigned clearly defined budgets and timeframes, with any extensions needing to be justified to Parliament. The committee warns that many of these inquiries are over-stretched, poorly defined, and lack sufficient financial oversight amid escalating costs.
Since 2007, the costs of public inquiries in Scotland have risen by £30 million this year alone, bringing the total to almost £260 million in 2024-25 adjusted prices (£258.8m). Between 2007 and 2014, five inquiries cost £42.6 million, whereas six inquiries since 2014 have amounted to £204.8 million. The committee pointed to Sweden’s model as an example, where inquiries typically conclude within two years and adhere to a set budget.
The report highlights concerns that public inquiries are diverting resources from other public services and can pull judges away from their court work. It calls for government guidance to ensure statutory inquiries are only considered after all alternative options have been exhausted, and insists that inquiries must have clearer and more transparent decision-making processes.
Currently, four inquiries are ongoing, examining issues such as the Covid crisis, hospital safety, child abuse, and the death of Sheku Bayoh. Additionally, a separate inquiry has recently begun into the murder of Emma Caldwell.
The Scottish government has welcomed the report and indicated it will respond. It noted that inquiries operate independently of government and are used only when no other avenue is sufficient, citing the Covid-19 inquiry as an example. Despite increasing demand, the public's understanding of how inquiries function remains limited.
