Cost of public inquiries in Scotland since 2007 rises to £230m

The cost of public inquiries in Scotland since 2007 has ballooned to £230 million.

The figures, collated by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, found the costs of the Eljamel Inquiry had already grown to £1 million, despite not having taken evidence yet.

Some £666,949 of this was spent on staff, while £316,035 was spent on external legal costs.

Patients of the disgraced neurosurgeon, who worked for NHS Tayside between 1995 and 2014, have claimed he harmed as many as 200 people, with some suffering life-changing injuries.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which was announced in 2014 to investigate the abuse of children in care, remains the most expensive in the country, with a current cost of £95.3 million.

The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry, which is examining the Government’s response to the pandemic, was announced in 2021 and has already cost £34 million.

Meanwhile, the cost of the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry, which was announced in 2019, stood at £23.6 million as of December 2024. That inquiry is probing the death of Mr Bayoh, who died after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2015.

The costs of the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which is examining issues with the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, have risen to £23.6 million. That inquiry was announced in 2019.

The completed Edinburgh Trams Inquiry cost £13.1 million.

The news comes as Holyrood’s Finance Committee investigates the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries.

MSPs could probe the role of legal firms and whether they have a vested interest in inquiries running on for years past their original finish date, and whether they have a conflict of interest in seeking to broaden the remit of inquiries, increasing costs further.

Professor Sandy Cameron, the former chair of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, will appear before the Finance Committee on Tuesday.

In a written submission to the committee, Professor Cameron said that part of the reason for the rising costs of inquiries was the difficulty in managing legal fees and holding solicitors to budget.

He said: “It has to be recognised that inquiries are a source of substantial income for some large legal firms and, as such, the question arises as to the extent to which they are motivated to keep costs to a minimum and within budget.”

Costs can also increase if more victims come forward when the timetable of an inquiry is expanded.

Professor Cameron warned the length of some inquiries risks the loss of public interest while adding pressure to victims seeking answers. She said there is also the risk of “passion fatigue” for participants if they run on.

He added: “Essentially, we need to ask the questions what are inquiries trying to achieve and could they be done differently?

“If we were starting from scratch could we devise a process which was more effective and less costly?”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “We welcome the committee’s interest and look forward to hearing their views.

“Public inquiries are set up when no other avenue is deemed sufficient given the issues of public concern.

“In many cases, such as the Scottish Covid Inquiry, they are set up with the support of, or in response to calls from, the Scottish Parliament.

“Public inquiries operate independently of government and the chair has a statutory duty to avoid unnecessary costs.”