Inquiry Chair Defends Cost and Duration
The chair of the UK public inquiry into Covid-19 has defended both the expense and the length of the process during the final day of hearings.
Baroness Heather Hallett described completing the hearings in under four years as "an extraordinary achievement," despite criticism regarding the inquiry's cost and duration.
With a cost exceeding £200 million, the inquiry examined the pandemic response across all four UK nations. It formally opened in 2022, with witness hearings commencing in June 2023.
Baroness Hallett expressed confidence that once the public reviews the inquiry's findings, they will understand the rationale behind its establishment.
"There are people who believe it is time to move on from the pandemic and they question the worth of this inquiry.
I hope that when they read about the extent of the suffering that we've heard and see the results of the inquiry's work, they will appreciate the huge scale of loss caused by Covid 19 and they will understand better why this inquiry was established."
Scope and Scale of the Inquiry
Baroness Hallett noted that over 600,000 documents have been received and reviewed during the inquiry, and more than 350 witnesses have provided evidence.
She also highlighted that the terms of reference given to her by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson were the "broadest of any public inquiry to date." She encouraged the public to advocate for the implementation of her recommendations ahead of any future pandemics.
"If implemented, my recommendations should reduce the number of deaths, reduce the suffering and reduce the social and economic cost," she said.
Upcoming Reports and Previous Findings
Baroness Hallett will publish eight additional reports covering topics such as the NHS, vaccines, test and trace, the pandemic's impact on children, and social care. This process is expected to continue into the first half of next year.
She has already released reports on pandemic planning prior to 2020 and on the conduct of the UK Government and devolved nations during the peak of the crisis, both of which were critical of officials and leading politicians.
Costs and Government Involvement
The inquiry's cost to date is just over £200 million, with an additional £100 million spent by government departments providing documents and other information.
"I said at the outset that this inquiry would cost a lot of money and take time. It has done. But I genuinely believe it has been worth it," Hallett said.
The inquiry formally opened in 2022, with witness hearings beginning in June 2023, and has examined the pandemic response across all four UK nations.
Related Inquiries
A separate inquiry established by the Scottish Government, chaired by Lord Brailsford, is also underway. It plans to publish a series of reports this year, followed by hearings focusing on the response of public bodies and policymakers.
