Mark Whitehead 13 December 2017

Government failing to act on public inquiries despite £639m bill finds report

The Government has spent huge amounts of money on public inquiries in recent years but usually fail to follow them up, according to new research.

The Institute for Government says 68 public inquiries have taken place since 1990 at a cost of £639m, but only six have been fully reviewed by MPs to see what happened as a result.

The institute's report 'How public inquiries can lead to change' says Parliament must hold government to account by requiring it to provide yearly progress updates to select committees.

It says there are eight inquiries currently taking place covering issues ranging from the Grenfell Tower disaster to Child Sexual Abuse to Contaminated Blood.

The institute says public inquiries have delivered valuable changes from effective gun control after the Dunblane massacre to the creation of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch after the Ladbroke Grove and Southall rail crashes.

But it says there are no formal checks or procedures to make sure they lead to meaningful change.

The report's author Emma Norris said: 'The implementation of findings is patchy and there is no proper procedure for holding government to account for change.

'Government needs to systematically provide a full and detailed response to inquiry findings and select committees need to make the follow-up to inquiry recommendations a core part of their work.'

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know image

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know

Councils and mayors are to be handed a central role in developing skills pipelines for local industries, as the Government unveils what it calls a ‘fundamental change’ to the education system aimed at tackling youth unemployment. Here's what council leaders and officers need to know.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Team Administrator

Gloucestershire County Council
£25,185 - £25 989
Are you looking to join a friendly and supportive administration team at Gloucestershire County Council? Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Recuriter: Gloucestershire County Council

Administration Officer

Durham County Council
Grade 5 £26,403 - £28,598 (Pay award pending)
Are you an organised and proactive administrator who is passionate about supporting learners to achieve their potential? Join DurhamLearn and become Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Highways Trainer (2 Posts)

Derbyshire County Council
£35,422 - £38,730
Are you passionate about developing people and ensuring compliance across a complex operational service? Derbyshire
Recuriter: Derbyshire County Council

Family Support Parenting Practitioner

Gloucestershire County Council
£33,143 - £36,363
Join our dedicated team in Children's Services and make a real difference in the lives of children and families across Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire
Recuriter: Gloucestershire County Council

Children and Families Senior Social Worker/ Social Worker

Gloucestershire County Council
£39,152 - £47,181
We are currently recruiting for Social Workers and Senior Social Workers in all our locality teams. Gloucestershire
Recuriter: Gloucestershire County Council
Linkedin Banner