A blistering new report from the Scottish Parliament has condemned the nation's growing roster of public inquiries as excessively costly, poorly managed, and detrimental to essential public services.
Spiralling Costs and 'Poorly Defined' Objectives
The investigation by Holyrood's Finance and Public Administration Committee found that since Scotland gained the legal power to hold public inquiries in 2007, the total bill for taxpayers has reached a staggering £258.8 million. This includes £30 million spent in this year alone.
MSPs concluded that the system is "overstretched and poorly defined", with some probes lacking a clear "core objective". The report warns that the open-ended nature of many investigations allows costs to spiral and timelines to drag on for years, diverting critical resources from frontline policing, judicial work, and other services.
High-Profile Cases Under Scrutiny
The report highlights several inquiries that have faced intense criticism for their duration and expense.
The inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, who died in police custody in Kirkcaldy in 2015, has been running for five years and has so far cost £26.2 million. Its future is now uncertain after the resignation of its chairman in October.
The Edinburgh tram inquiry, examining the fiasco surrounding the capital's transport project, finally reported in 2023 at a cost of £13.1 million – itself years late and over budget.
The most expensive probe to date is the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which began in 2014 and has accrued costs exceeding £102 million.
Calls for Reform and Tighter Controls
The cross-party committee has issued a series of recommendations to overhaul the system. They urge Scottish ministers to impose fixed budgets and definitive timetables on future inquiries to prevent endless drift.
Committee convener Kenneth Gibson MSP stated: "There is currently limited ability for ministers to control expenditure and stop costs spiralling – or to stop an inquiry dragging on for years." He pointed to international examples, such as Sweden, where inquiries are typically required to conclude within two years under a set budget.
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr launched a fierce political attack, blaming the SNP government: "£258 million has been blown on public inquiries because ministers can’t set clear objectives, control costs or take responsibility... a taxpayer-funded gravy train."
In response, the Scottish Government acknowledged the report and stated that inquiry chairs are already legally obliged to avoid unnecessary costs. A spokesman said the proposals would be "responded to in due course", reiterating that inquiries operate independently and are established when no other avenue is sufficient.
