Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Cabinet Office

In relation to my answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11837, decisions about parliamentary engagement are matters for the relevant department owners of each review.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster committed to a review of UK national resilience in his statement to the House of Commons on 19 July, in response to the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report. The review is expected to conclude in Spring 2025 and includes a broad programme of engagement, including Parliamentary, to ensure the UK Government’s approach to resilience best helps mitigate the challenges we face. The review will also consider the future approach to reporting on and scrutiny of UK national resilience.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

In relation to my answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11837, the aforementioned reviews are scheduled to conclude in the first half of 2025. Decisions about publication and consultation are matters for the relevant department owners.

The Cabinet Office owns the resilience review which will conclude in Spring 2025 and will set the future direction for the resilience system. It is an internally-led review which will draw on existing evidence to inform what is working well and what could change, including the findings from the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 and the Grenfell Inquiry. In addition to regular discussions with stakeholders, Ministers and officials are continuing to meet with those from devolved, regional and local Government, businesses and civil society.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

In relation to my answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11837, the aforementioned reviews are scheduled to conclude in the first half of 2025. Decisions about publication and consultation are matters for the relevant department owners.

The Cabinet Office owns the resilience review which will conclude in Spring 2025 and will set the future direction for the resilience system. It is an internally-led review which will draw on existing evidence to inform what is working well and what could change, including the findings from the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 and the Grenfell Inquiry. In addition to regular discussions with stakeholders, Ministers and officials are continuing to meet with those from devolved, regional and local Government, businesses and civil society.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster committed to undertaking a review of UK national resilience in his statement to the House of Commons on 19 July, in response to the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report. The review is expected to conclude in Spring 2025. It will be informed by the voices of local leaders, the Four Nations, businesses, voluntary and community sector representatives and academics. It will also consider recommendations from public inquiries into Covid-19 and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

As part of this review I recently met with representatives of those disproportionately impacted during crises, faith groups, businesses and charities who support a range of communities, and earlier in the year convened a roundtable of 11 Northern Local Resilience Forum representatives during a recent visit to the North East.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 2 2024-25 on 24 October 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 284 Full Time Equivalents

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,303,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £10,352,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,049,000

£5,303,000

£10,352,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

280

284

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q2 are below.

Q2 legal costs: £5,818,000

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total legal costs: £10,054,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£4,236,000

£5,818,000

£10,054,000

</tbody>

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 2 2024-25 on 24 October 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 284 Full Time Equivalents

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,303,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £10,352,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,049,000

£5,303,000

£10,352,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

280

284

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q2 are below.

Q2 legal costs: £5,818,000

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total legal costs: £10,054,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£4,236,000

£5,818,000

£10,054,000

</tbody>

Answering body: Cabinet Office

It is important that lessons are learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic and the response to it. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is independent of government and it is right that we allow the Chair to continue her important work. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work, and she has been clear in her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Quarterly financial reports are published every quarter on the official UK Covid-19 Inquiry website.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Since the introduction of the Inquiries Act 2005, there have been three inquiries which include matters which are partly or wholly devolved to Wales: the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the Infected Blood Inquiry, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

It is important that lessons are learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic and the response to it. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is independent of government and it is right that we allow the Chair to continue her important work. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work, and she has been clear in her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The COVID-19 Inquiry’s first report, which covered resilience and preparedness, was published on 18 July 2024, and makes 10 recommendations for the Government. As the Prime Minister’s written ministerial statement to Parliament said, the Government will carefully consider the findings and recommendations of the report in the context of the Government’s overall approach to resilience. The Cabinet Office is leading this work and co-ordinating across all departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care. The full Government response will be published within six months.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The previous Government spent up to £400 billion on pandemic related interventions and programmes including 11.7 million employees that were furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, at a cost of £70 billion. 2.9m people on the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme received grants at a cost of £28bn.

The Chancellor has announced that she will appoint a Covid Corruption Commissioner, fulfilling a manifesto commitment. The main focus of the Commissioner will be pandemic PPE contracts. They will make sure everything that can be done, has been done, to get the public purse what it is owed.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has now been established. As set out in its Terms of Reference, the Inquiry will examine, consider and report on preparations and the response to the pandemic. In doing so, the inquiry will help identify lessons learned. The Inquiry published its Module 1 report, focussing on resilience and preparedness in July 2024. The government will carefully consider the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, and will respond within six months.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas–Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

"The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the Government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the Government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 1 2024-25 on 29 July 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

● Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 280 Full Time Equivalents (Q1)
● Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,049,000 (including contingent labour costs) (Q1)

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for April - June 2024 are below.

● Q1 legal costs: £4,236,000"

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the Government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the Government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 1 2024-25 on 29 July 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 280 Full Time Equivalents (Q1)

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,049,000 (including contingent labour costs) (Q1)

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for April - June 2024 are below.

Q1 legal costs: £4,236,000

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Public inquiries are an important mechanism to learn lessons for the future. The Government will carefully consider all of the findings and recommendations of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 report.

Parliament, and in particular its Select Committees, has an important role in scrutinising government policy, including the implementation of inquiries' recommendations.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Department is embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic within its approach to pandemic preparedness. This includes amending the approach to cover all five routes of communicable disease transmission, rather than focusing on planning for specific threats. We are working with partners in the health and social care system, including the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, to maintain a flexible and scalable set of response capabilities that can be adapted to any future novel disease. The approach to pandemic preparedness also recognises that the underlying resilience of the health and social care system is crucial to the ability to respond to a novel disease threat.

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry published its first report on 18 July 2024, which focuses on resilience and preparedness for a pandemic, and the Department will consider the inquiry’s recommendations in full.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

In the Prime Minister’s written ministerial statement to Parliament, he said that ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a “top priority” for his government and that the Government is determined to learn the lessons from this Inquiry.

Further to this, on the 19 July, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster made an oral statement in the House of Commons in response to the Module 1 report where he said “this government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe. We cannot rebuild our national resilience overnight. But we will learn the lessons from this Inquiry – from this Module and every Module that follows”.

The issue of Covid-19 vaccines will be discussed in Module 4 of the Covid-19 Inquiry, where the hearings are planned to start from 14 January 2025 to 30 January 2025.

Answering body: Prime Minister

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett, has today published the Inquiry’s Module One report, which examines the resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom between 2009 and early 2020. I have today laid before both Houses a copy of this report.

The report concludes that the UK was under-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic, and that process, planning and policy across all four nations failed UK citizens. Poorly performing public services, pre-existing general levels of ill-health, and health and social inequalities are cited as factors that made the UK more vulnerable.

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. However, it did not have an equal impact, with some affected more than others and with some people still living with the impact of the virus.

The government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe, and as Prime Minister I am personally committed to each and every family that lost loved ones, and whose lives were changed forever, that this government will learn the lessons from the Inquiry. This means ensuring that the UK is prepared for a future pandemic, as well as the broadest range of potential risks facing our country. That is a top priority for this government and what everyone should rightly expect from a government working in their service.

The government is committed to working with our colleagues in the devolved governments, mayors and local partners as we carefully consider the recommendations in the report, as their efforts are vital to ensuring the resilience of the whole of the United Kingdom.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The government will carefully consider all of the findings and recommendations of the report in the context of the government’s overall approach to resilience.

Answering body: Leader of the House of Lords

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett, has today published the Inquiry’s Module One report, which examines the resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom between 2009 and early 2020. I have today laid before both Houses a copy of this report.

The report concludes that the UK was under-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic, and that process, planning and policy across all four nations failed UK citizens. Poorly performing public services, pre-existing general levels of ill-health, and health and social inequalities are cited as factors that made the UK more vulnerable.

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. However, it did not have an equal impact, with some affected more than others and with some people still living with the impact of the virus.

The government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe, and as Prime Minister I am personally committed to each and every family that lost loved ones, and whose lives were changed forever, that this government will learn the lessons from the Inquiry. This means ensuring that the UK is prepared for a future pandemic, as well as the broadest range of potential risks facing our country. That is a top priority for this government and what everyone should rightly expect from a government working in their service.

The government is committed to working with our colleagues in the devolved governments, mayors and local partners as we carefully consider the recommendations in the report, as their efforts are vital to ensuring the resilience of the whole of the United Kingdom.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The government will carefully consider all of the findings and recommendations of the report in the context of the government’s overall approach to resilience.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

All routine policy, including the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), is reviewed on a regular basis. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is currently considering aspects of the scheme, following recent meetings with interested stakeholders.

Separately, work is underway with the scheme’s administrator, the NHS Business Service Authority, to review processes and make administrative changes to improve the scheme within the current legislative framework. Formal consideration of whether any reforms of the VDPS are necessary will form part of Module 4 of the COVID-19 Inquiry, chaired by the Rt Hon Baroness Heather Carol Hallett DBE.