Scottish Covid-19 inquiry: Costs hit nearly £8m before a single public hearing is held

The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry is yet to hold a single public hearing, but has already cost taxpayers nearly £8 million

The cost of the Scottish Covid-19 inquiry had already hit nearly £8 million – and has yet to hold a single public hearing.

The Scottish Covid-19 inquiry has been set up “to establish the facts and learn the lessons of the strategic devolved response” to the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland.

The independent inquiry, which is funded by the Scottish Government, has already fancied considerable delays.

Dr Alexandra Anderson and Lord Brailsford of the inquiry team at the NHS memorial statue within the grounds of The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. (Pic: Stewart Attwood)

In December 2021, then Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced Lady Poole would chair the inquiry. The official set up date for the inquiry was February 28, 2022

However, Lady Poole resigned the following October, citing personal reasons.

Lord Brailsford was then appointed chair, and the inquiry's terms of reference were published, after being amended to make explicit reference to a human rights-based approach.

The total cost of the Scottish inquiry to June 30 was £7.8m.

A spokesman for the inquiry said: "Costs involved with establishing and running an inquiry include staffing and infrastructure, such as IT systems, equipment, premises, and resourcing the legal, policy and other teams required to investigate the devolved strategic response to the pandemic.

"The legal team continues to carry out investigations and gather evidence.

"Work is ongoing towards the inquiry's first public event, a presentation on the epidemiology of Covid-19 to be held on 26 to 27 July in Dundee, as well as a preliminary hearing in August, and further hearings on the impact of the pandemic on health and social care from October."

Under the terms of the Inquiries Act 2005, an inquiry started by one government within the UK cannot investigate decisions made by another government without its permission.

As a result, Westminster-led initiatives such as the furlough scheme and the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, which offered incentives for customers to dine in restaurants last summer and had been said to have driven a rise in cases in some areas, won’t be investigated by the Scottish Covid inquiry.