Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2026 [Draft]
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this important debate on the cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries. I thank the Finance and Public Administration Committee for its report. The speeches that we have heard so far have been valuable and a credit to the Parliament. I am glad to contribute to this debate, which builds on the groundbreaking report that the committee published last year. I think that this is the first time that Holyrood has delved deeply into the issue, but it is appropriate that we have done so to ensure that justice and accountability do not come at an unsustainable cost to the Scottish taxpayer. There is obviously a balance to be struck in securing justice, and that is the key thing for me.
I affirm the vital role of public inquiries, which are not luxuries but essential tools for uncovering the truth, delivering justice to victims and preventing future tragedies. I note the issue of trust in public inquiries and what they deliver, which Liz Smith mentioned. The Penrose inquiry into contaminated blood exposed systemic failures and brought closure to affected families. The on-going Scottish child abuse inquiry is giving voice to survivors after decades of silence. The Sheku Bayoh inquiry is seeking answers for a grieving family and communities. As the Deputy First Minister said, the Scottish Covid-19 inquiry is helping us to learn lessons from a pandemic that touched every life in Scotland.
Such inquiries can restore public confidence, and we should not underestimate the importance of that. When we consider our political discourse and the extent to which people trust politicians more generally, we can see that the role of public inquiries is incredibly important. They can also promote reconciliation and drive real change. Without them, we would risk repeating history’s mistakes.
However, we must be honest that public inquiries come at a staggering cost. Since 2007, Scotland has spent about £230 million on public inquiries, adjusted to today’s prices. The Edinburgh tram inquiry alone cost £13.1 million and took nine years. I know people who were involved in that inquiry and they were incredibly frustrated about how long it took.
The cost of the four major current inquiries—the Scottish child abuse inquiry, the hospitals inquiry, the Sheku Bayoh inquiry and the Covid-19 inquiry—has already reached £200 million, with more costs to come. As Michelle Thomson said, legal fees often dominate, sometimes accounting for more than a third of the costs, while indirect costs to public bodies such as Police Scotland add millions more. That can sometimes mean funds being diverted from front-line services, which is why the points that Michelle Thomson and the Deputy First Minister made about the publication of costs are incredibly important. That is not to say that companies are overemphasising the costs, but it is important that they are transparent.