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.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Fostering Social Worker

Durham County Council
£36,581 - £40,444 (pre-progression) / £42,123 - £46,579 (post-progression)
We are looking for an enthusiastic social worker to join our Fostering Support Team covering the south of County Durham.   We are an established and d Seaham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Planning Monitoring and Compliance Officer

Durham County Council
Grade 9 £36,581 - £40,444
Are you looking for an opportunity to play a key role in the planning process?   We are seeking a self-motivated individual with excellent stakeholder Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Project Manager

Durham County Council
£51,928 to £56,293 p.a. (Grade 14)
Moving systems to the cloud is rarely just a technology problem. Contracts expire at different times, suppliers have their own roadmaps, services have Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Cleaner

Durham County Council
£25,614 (Pro Rata)
10 hours per week- 3.30pm-5.30pm Mon – Fri Whole Time Start date
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Caretaker

Durham County Council
£25,614 – £26,016 pro rata
25 hours per week- Split shifts Monday to Friday (2.5hrs am & 2.5pm) Job Share would be considered Whole Time Required to start as soon as possible.   Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner