Inquiry costs – Q2 2024/25

Inquiry costs

The total expenditure of the Inquiry for quarter two of the 2024-25 financial year was £3,563,800. The following table provides a breakdown of these costs, further details relating to each area are available underneath.

 ExpenditureFinancial year to date
Staff costs£2,447,800£4,698,200
Operational costs£163,700£1,829,400
Expenses, including witness expenses£3,100£15,400
Let’s Be Heard and other engagement£158,200£199,800
Inquiry legal services£541,000£669,000
Research and consultancy£64,000£197,200
Core participant fees£186,000£186,000
TOTAL£3,563,800£7,795,000

Further breakdown and explanatory notes

Staff costs

The Inquiry’s Chief Executive is responsible and accountable for the overall administration and management of the Inquiry. The Inquiry includes teams responsible for facilitating hearings, conducting investigations, delivering the Inquiry’s public participation project, Let’s Be Heard, and managing the large volume of information received by the Inquiry.

 

Operational costs 

These include items and services required by the Inquiry to conduct its work effectively.

 

Expenses, including witness expenses

These are costs incurred by witnesses to attend hearings, and by staff when travelling on Inquiry business.

 

Inquiry legal services

These costs encompass external legal advice provided to the Inquiry, including counsel.

 

Let's Be Heard and other engagement

Let’s Be Heard is the Inquiry’s public participation project. Other engagement refers to costs such as translating documents and guides to make them more widely accessible, maintaining the Inquiry website, distributing Inquiry news updates and producing explanatory videos.

 

Research and consultancy

This includes academic research commissioned by the Inquiry to assist its investigations and preparations for public hearings. It also covers external services, such as bereavement and listening support for people engaging with the Inquiry.

 

Core participant fees

These are fees paid to core participants’ legal representatives. As Scotland’s largest public inquiry, the Inquiry has a large number of core participants. In accordance with Section 40 of the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair can grant funding for legal representation where this is deemed appropriate. Information about who is eligible to apply for funding and how such applications are considered is published in the Inquiry’s Funding Protocol for Legal Expenses.

 

Figures in this report

Some costs in this quarterly report may be subject to final adjustment in future, reflecting the final settlement of invoices and payments.

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