Government asks officials to reduce cost and duration of public investigations as expenses rise due to Covid scrutiny

MINISTERS are ordering officials to get future public inquiry costs down, as estimates show the Covid probe will cost taxpayers £227million.

They want victims to get answers much faster from hearings.

Cabinet Office chief Pat McFadden has told officials to draw up options.

Labour MPs said he was “taken aback” by how long the bloated Covid inquiry was taking compared to other countries. 

The Minister of the Cabinet Office expressed his desire for justice to be served more swiftly to victims, emphasizing the need to provide them with the answers they deserve without enduring lengthy delays and exorbitant costs.

An MP from the Labour Party voiced concerns to The Sun on Sunday regarding the excessive expenses and prolonged duration of the Covid inquiry. The MP highlighted the fact that individuals who profited significantly from the sale of PPE have not even been called to provide evidence.

The inquiry, launched in June 2022, is set to continue hearing evidence into March 2026 with the next report scheduled for Autumn.

In comparison, Sweden’s Covid inquiry reported in February 2022.

New figures by the TaxPayers’ Alliance estimate the UK’s probe is costing £158,269 a day, making it the most expensive inquiry in British history.

John O’Connell, chief executive of TPA, called on ministers to look at slapping a spending cap on the inquiry.

Reflecting on the five-year mark since the onset of the pandemic, the MP noted the ongoing delay in the conclusion of the Covid inquiry, criticizing the sluggish pace and efficiency of the British governmental system, which has left the British public waiting for closure.

Last year a House of Lords report found public inquiries take too long and often do not lead to change.

A spokesperson for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry dismissed the TPA’s projections saying they had spent  £160.4million so far. 

They added: “The inquiry is moving quickly to learn lessons and better protect the UK.” 

Officials are set to begin its latest set of hearings on test, trace and isolate next week.