Costs of public inquiries forcing ‘tough’ decisions on tackling crime – police

Police Scotland say the “considerable” costs they bear from public inquiries are forcing “tough” decisions on using their budget to tackle crime.

The force made a submission to a Holyrood committee which is investigating the cost effectiveness of public inquiries.

It was written before the chairman of the inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh resigned last Tuesday.

Lord Bracadale’s resignation, which prompted the rest of the inquiry’s legal team to stand down, has thrown the future of the years-long inquiry into uncertainty.

Mr Bayoh, 31, a father-of-two, died after he was restrained by around six police officers who were called to Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3 2015.

Police Scotland wrote to Holyrood’s Finance Committee, in correspondence which was reported by the Mail on Sunday.

The force said: “With regard to costs, there is no budgetary provision afforded to Police Scotland in supporting public inquiries, the associated costs as outlined are considerable, specifically as they relate to legal costs.

“As a consequence, Police Scotland are challenged with absorbing those costs from revenue streams and consistently making tough, prioritised, decisions on budget, often at the expense of policing local communities, as well as tackling a range of crime types.”

The written submission noted the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry had so far cost £25 million, with Police Scotland incurring a further £25 million as a result of the inquiry – the bulk of which was legal fees.

The Police Scotland submission continued: “While there are mechanisms in place in relation to oversight, in practice inquiries are prone to high, escalating and unpredictable costs as well as long durations.

“Amendments to terms of reference have a knock-on effect on existing budgets.

“The participants of an inquiry have no control or influence on the running time of an inquiry, making ongoing budgeting difficult.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Public inquiries operate independently of government.

“All matters relating to the operation of an inquiry are for the chair, who has a statutory duty to avoid unnecessary costs.

“The Scottish Government is investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26, an increase of £90 million on 2024-25.

“We welcome the committee’s inquiry and look forward to hearing their report.”

Earlier, First Minister John Swinney had indicated he would be willing to meet with Mr Bayoh’s family to discuss their concerns following Lord Bracadale’s resignation.

In June, it was revealed the overall cost of Scottish public inquiries had risen to £240 million.