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Government Racks up £100m Bill Responding to Covid Inquiry
Government legal fees and staffing costs to respond to the Covid Inquiry total £101 million from April 2023 to June 2025, excluding officials' witness time.
- From April 2023 to June 2025, UK government departments spent around £101m responding to the Covid Inquiry, adding to public costs that exceed 192m and increase taxpayer burden over 50%.
- The Covid Inquiry's wide scope forced departments to gather significant evidence and legal advice, leading to legal disputes including a 2023 High Court clash over Boris Johnson's messages.
- Legal costs dominated spending while five departments—Cabinet Office, Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care, Treasury, and UK Health Security Agency—and a team of 248 officials prepared evidence.
- Critics including the TaxPayers' Alliance and Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK urged ministers to rein in spiralling costs as Baroness Hallett and the Covid Inquiry legal team criticised delays and blocked information.
- The inquiry, which began in 2022, is not expected to report until 2027 and has only completed two of the 10 modules so far, with Baroness Hallett saying recommendations aim to better protect the UK.
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16 Articles
16 Articles
Evening Standard+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Government has spent more than £100m so far responding to Covid inquiry
Transparency data from the Cabinet Office shows the staff and legal costs involved.
·London, United Kingdom
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The Covid Inquiry has missed vital lessons on how to make better decisions
The Covid Inquiry has missed vital lessons on how to make better decisions sveva.spadavecchia Tue, 02/12/2025 - 10:13 We have not learnt much that is new from the inquiry’s Module Two report. 5 Comment Dr Rebecca McKee Alex Thomas Institute for Government No Matt Hancock, health secretary for much of the pandemic, appears before the Covid Inquiry. Ministers Public inquiries Conservative No The inquiry has missed the opportunity to really dig …
Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Center
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
64% Center
L 29%
C 64%
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