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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 15 June 2025
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Displaying 1162 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Do you think that it is important that they have such a relationship? There are bodies across the UK that will have an impact on what might happen in any part of the UK. Therefore, if different legislation governs the public inquiries in different jurisdictions, surely it is important that there is co-ordination with the UK body.

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Last week, one witness suggested doing exactly that, as she felt that someone who was starting out on a public inquiry would gain from the considerable experience that exists as a result of other public inquiries that have taken place. I understand that that work could be done by the Cabinet Office. Is that correct?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Thank you. That is very helpful. Mary Morgan, what is the reason for the growth in the number of public inquiries?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Would you agree with one of our previous witnesses who suggested that perhaps one of the reasons for the growth in public inquiries is the perception that Government agencies have been failing to address specific questions, leading to frustration among victims or people who are demanding a public inquiry that their questions are not being answered in channels in which they should have been answered? I think that we can all name public inquiries that are examples of that. Is that a serious problem?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Before I ask my questions, it is important that I put on record that I am heavily involved with the Eljamel inquiry in Scotland.

Ms McKee, you gave a very interesting answer to the convener. You said that you feel that, when it comes to some public inquiries, the terms of reference are not always absolutely accurate, because they have to be dealt with very quickly. Can you give us some examples of where you feel that the terms of reference have maybe not been as accurate as they might have been?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

That would be helpful, because one of the issues—it is a genuine issue—in the Eljamel inquiry relates to constitutional differences. What would happen under the legislation in Scotland is different from what would happen under the Inquiries Act 2005, meaning that the terms of reference of a Scottish public inquiry would not necessarily tie up with the terms of reference of a UK inquiry. However, if evidence emerges that UK bodies were involved in some aspects of the Scottish situation and, therefore, by definition, should be investigated, ensuring that the UK and the Scottish inquiries are aligned will become a very important matter. I think that that has happened with the Covid inquiry, and it has certainly happened with the infected blood scandal inquiry. Do you have a view as to how a Scotland body would be able to have a really good, strong working relationship with the UK body in respect of the terms of reference?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

I am asking that question because it is very important to establish exactly why there has been a growth in the number of public inquiries, because that has a cost implication. However, if it is the case—I am not saying that it is—that one reason for their increase is that complaints have not been dealt with in the forum in which they should have been, we need to take that very seriously. If were are talking about an issue that should have been dealt with by a health board or whoever, it might not have gone to a public inquiry.

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Okay. Thank you.

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Would a circumstance in which you could foresee a possible change to the terms of reference, such as their expansion, be information coming to light from a different part of the jurisdiction that was being investigated?

Finance and Public Administration Committee [Draft]

Scottish Public Inquiries (Cost-effectiveness)

Meeting date: 3 June 2025

Liz Smith

Is the better process that you have mentioned simply about transparency, or does something else have to happen?