Inquiry costs
The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has been publishing its costs on a quarterly basis since March 2022.
Funding for the Inquiry is provided by the Scottish Government, but the Inquiry carries out its investigatory and reporting functions independently. The Chair of the Inquiry also has a legal duty to avoid any unnecessary cost.
| Period | Costs for period | Total to date |
|---|---|---|
| Start of Inquiry to 31 March 2022 | £422,000 | £422,000 |
| 1 April to 30 June 2022 | £521,000 | £943,000 |
| 1 July to 30 September 2022 | £1,092,000 | £2,035,000 |
| 1 October to 31 December 2022 | £1,291,000 | £3,326,000 |
| 1 January to 31 March 2023 | £2,729,000 | £6,055,000 |
| 1 April to 30 June 2023 | £1,754,000 | £7,809,000 |
| 1 July to 30 September 2023 | £1,136,000 | £8,945,000 |
| 1 October to 31 December 2023 | £3,871,305 | £12,816,305 |
Like all other public inquiries, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has had to be set up from scratch, which inevitably carries significant costs.
The costs involved with establishing and running an inquiry include staffing, procuring infrastructure such as IT systems, equipment and premises.
Additional expenses beyond the establishment phase of the Inquiry include funding awards to cover core participants' legal expenses and witness costs.
For more information on costs please see our protocol on applying for legal expenses.