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Published by The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
Report on the Cost-effectiveness of Scottish Public Inquiries
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Published: Sunday 21 Dec 2025 (FPAS062025R14)
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Overview
Report
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Overview
Report
Introduction
Background
Relevant UK House of Lords Reports
Establishing a statutory public inquiry
Public preference for statutory public inquiries
Growing demand for public inquiries
Decision to establish a statutory public inquiry
Purpose and suitability of inquiries
Building up the alternative
Delivering public inquiries
Appointment of chairs
Impact of appointing a serving judge
Drafting and agreeing the Terms of Reference
Terms of Reference and a clear purpose
Amending Terms of Reference mid-inquiry
Duration of public inquiries
Delays between announcement and start of an inquiry
Procedural delays
Delays associated with warning letters
Impact of long-running inquiries
Resourcing public inquiries
Costs of a public inquiry
Chairs' duty and discretion in managing costs
Impact on public sector bodies
Transparency of costs
Measures to control costs
Concluding a public inquiry
Use of interim reports
Responses to inquiry reports
Implementation of recommendations
Improving best practice
Scrutiny of public inquiries
Scottish Government guidance
Options for oversight
Conclusion
Annexe A - Remit
Annexe B - Recommendations
Annexe C - Costs of Scottish inquiries (November 2025)
Annexe D - Breakdown of costs of running a public inquiry
Annexe E - Extract from the minutes of Finance and Public Administration Committee meetings
Annexe F - Evidence
Annexe G - Commissioned Research and Engagement Events
Sources
Image: The breakdown of inquiry costs by type
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Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025). Cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries – Summary of written evidence. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/publicinquiries_summaryofwrittenevidence.pdf
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, April 22). Letter from the Convener to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-letter-of-22-april-2025
House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee. (2024, September 16). Public inquiries: Enhancing public trust. Retrieved from
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldstatinq/9/9.pdf
UK Government Response to the House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee report: Enhancing public trust (HTML). (2025). Retrieved from
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-house-of-lords-statutory-inquiries-committee-report-enhancing-public-trust/government-response-to-the-house-of-lords-statutory-inquiries-committee-report-enhancing-public-trust-html#:~:text=The%20Government%20agrees%20that%20there,helpful%20work%20of%20this%20Committee.
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, November 25). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-25-11-2025?meeting=16715&iob=142774
Dr Emma Ireton. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-ascending&uuId=477011832
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, June 3). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-03-06-2025?meeting=16479&iob=140724
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, October 7). Summary note of engagement event. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/publicinquiries_summarynoteofengagementevent_7oct25.pdf
Scottish Government. (2024, April 16). Reviews and inquiries that have been requested, instigated or promised into matters covered by Holyrood: FOI release. Retrieved from
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400397043/
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, June 17). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-17-06-2025?meeting=16510&iob=140999
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, May 20). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-20-05-2025?meeting=16447&iob=140447
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, June 10). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-10-06-2025?meeting=16495&iob=140866
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, October 7). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-07-10-2025?meeting=16630&iob=142014
Scottish Government. (2025). Public inquiries: Guidance for Ministers and officials on whether an inquiry should be established. Retrieved from
https://www.gov.scot/publications/public-inquiries-guidance-ministers-officials-whether-inquiry-established/
Inquiries Act 2005. (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/12/contents
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, September 30). Summary note of engagement event. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/publicinquiries_summarynoteofengagementevent_30sept25.pdf
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, May 27). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-27-05-2025?meeting=16465&iob=140596
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, December 3). Letter from the Convener to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-letter-of-3-december-2025
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. (2025, May 30). Letter to the Convener. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-letter-from-sg-of-30-may-2025
House of Commons Library. (2025, November 4). Public inquiries. Research briefing. Retrieved from
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06410/SN06410.pdf
Faculty of Advocates. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-ascending&uuId=438554406
Gillian Mawdsley. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-ascending&uuId=935987034
Cabinet Office. (n.d.) Inquiries Guidance. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/lords-committees/Inquiries-Act-2005/caboffguide.pdf
Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2025, October 28). Official Report. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/FPA-28-10-2025?meeting=16646&iob=142157
John Sturrock KC. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?uuId=140833131
Kira Pronin, Ph.D., M. Econ. (2025). Public inquiries in Sweden and Norway. Research commissioned for the Finance and Public Administration Committee. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/publicinquiries_scandinaviareportfinal_22oct25.pdf
The Right Honourable Lord Pentland, Lord President. (2025). Letter to the Convener. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/publicinquiries_lordpresidenttoconvener_14aug25.pdf
Inquiries Act 2005. Explanatory Notes. (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/12/notes/contents
Law Society of Scotland. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-ascending&uuId=764820273
The Right Honourable Lord GilI. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-written-submission-from-lord-gill
Roger Mullin. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?uuId=436943945
Professor Sandy Cameron CBE. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-written-submission-from-prof-sandy-cameron-cbe
NHS National Services Scotland. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?uuId=694983573
Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). (2025). Cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries. Research briefing for the Finance and Public Administration Committee. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/costeffectivenessofpublicinquiries_spicebriefing.pdf
Scottish Police Federation. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-written-submission-from-spf
NHS Ayrshire & Arran. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?uuId=674180151
Scottish Government. (2025). Public inquiry guidance: advice to inquiry teams. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/%7E/media/committ/11721/Public-Inquiries-Guidance--Advice-to-Inquiry-Teams
John Campbell KC. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2025/costeffectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries-written-submission-from-john-campbell-kc
Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016. (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2016/2/contents
Dumfries and Galloway Council. (2025). Written submission. Retrieved from
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/cost-effectiveness-of-scottish-public-inquiries/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-ascending&uuId=43575808
UK Government. (2025). Public Inquiries: Recommendations and the Government Response. Retrieved from
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-inquiries-recommendations-and-the-government-response
The Penrose Inquiry. (2015). Final Report. Retrieved from
https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170401051717/http://www.penroseinquiry.org.uk/finalreport/index.html
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