Orgreave Inquiry. Read indexed debates, questions, statements and early day motions, with links to the original parliamentary records.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the total public cost to date of the Orgreave inquiry.
The Inquiry went live on 26 March 2026.The published costs for the Inquiry to 31 March 2026 are £248,384.38.In future, the Inquiry will update its costs on their website periodically: https://www.orgreave.public-inquiry.uk/policies-protocols/
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the (a) total budget and (b) expected completion date of the Orgreave Inquiry.
On 26 March 2026, the Home Secretary announced the terms of reference and start date for the Orgreave Inquiry. The terms of reference include the aim to publish a final report within 24 months of the start date 26th March 2026. Decisions about the timetable, process and procedures will be made by the Inquiry’s independent Chair, the Right Revd Dr Bishop Pete Wilcox.
Ministers will discuss budgets with the Chair and the timetable for the Inquiry in more detail now that the terms of reference have been published, as this enables more reliable estimates of the Inquiry’s costs to be made.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the written statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS855, on Events at Orgreave, whether the Chair of the inquiry has provided a declaration of interests, including any declaration of political activity; and what is his remuneration.
Section 17 of the Inquiries Act 2005 requires the Chair of an Inquiry established under the Act to act with fairness and with regard to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost. Once the Orgreave Inquiry is established, it will be expected to publish its costs periodically. Ministers will meet with the Chair to discuss budgets and timetables in more detail once the terms of reference have been published, at which point it will be possible to make more reliable estimates on the inquiry’s time and cost.
Under the 2005 Act, there are legal requirements concerning the expertise, balance and impartiality of the Chair. The previous Home Secretary made the decision to appoint the Chair of the Inquiry on the basis of those requirements being met.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025, on Events at Orgreave, HCWS855, by what mechanism the panel of independent experts will be (a) selected and (b) appointed; whether they will be paid; and what steps she is taking to ensure transparency over declarations of interest.
As set out in the previous Home Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2025, the Orgreave Inquiry will be established as a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005, with a small panel of independent experts to be appointed in due course.
The appointment of panel members will therefore be made in accordance with provisions in the Inquiries Act 2005. Those appointments and any related remuneration matters remain to be determined.
Details of panel members and the Inquiry’s terms of reference will be provided to both Houses at the earliest opportunity.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of each ongoing (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiry, including the year it was established.
The table below sets out the list of open statutory and non-statutory inquiries and the year in which they were established. This includes inquiries that have published but not yet closed. The table does not include public inquiries which have been announced but have not yet been formally established, namely inquiries into events at Orgreave, the death of Patrick Finucane and the Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs.
<tbody>
Year established
Inquiry
Statutory or non-statutory
2025
Nottingham Inquiry
Statutory
2025
Independent inquiry into Manston short-term holding facility / Manston Inquiry
Non-statutory
2025
Southport Inquiry
Statutory
2023
Jalal Uddin Inquiry
Statutory
2023
Cranston Inquiry
Non-statutory
2023
Andrew Malkinson Inquiry
Non-statutory
2023
Thirlwall Inquiry
Statutory
2023
Inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing
Statutory
2022
Independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan
Statutory
2022
Dawn Sturgess Inquiry
Statutory
2022
Fuller Inquiry
Non-statutory
2022
Angiolini Inquiry
Non-statutory
2022
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Statutory
2021
Lampard Inquiry
Statutory
2020
Post Office Horizon IT inquiry
Statutory
2017
Infected Blood Inquiry
Statutory
2015
Undercover Policing Inquiry
Statutory
2004
Robert Hamill Inquiry
Statutory
</tbody>
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Northumbria Police sought (a) permission, (b) guidance, and (c) clearance from her Department prior to the destruction of (i) documents and (ii) records on 29 and 30 April 2024 relating to (A) events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 and (B) the 1984-85 miners’ strike.
Police forces are independent of government and decisions concerning the management of their records are for them to make in accordance with their respective review, retention and disposal policies. However, the Government expects any such decisions to be made in accordance with relevant legislation and national guidance.
Further details about the Government’s manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave will be made available in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will investigate the destruction of documents by Northumbria Police on (a) 29 and (b) 30 April 2024 relating to the 1984 miners’ strike and Orgreave.
Police forces are independent of government and decisions concerning the management of their records are for them to make in accordance with their respective review, retention and disposal policies. However, the Government expects any such decisions to be made in accordance with relevant legislation and national guidance.
Further details about the Government’s manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave will be made available in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's 2024 election manifesto's commitment to hold an investigation or inquiry into events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) preserve and (b) protect from destruction all (i) documents and (ii) records held by (A) police forces and (B) relevant public bodies relating to those events.
Police forces are independent of government and decisions concerning the management of their records are for them to make in accordance with their respective review, retention and disposal policies. However, the Government expects any such decisions to be made in accordance with relevant legislation and national guidance.
Further details about the Government’s manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave will be made available in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 45575 on Orgreave, what her planned timeline is for announcing an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing and Crime Prevention have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the delivery of the Government’s manifesto commitment on Orgreave.
Next steps will be announced in the normal way in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timeline is for launching an inquiry into the events at Orgreave during the miners' strike.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime have already met with the Orgreave and Truth and Justice Campaign and the National Union of Mineworkers to discuss the Government’s manifesto commitment of holding an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave. in October 2024. Ministers found this to be a positive meeting and have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.
Next steps will be announced in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet representatives of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign to discuss the potential merits of launching an inquiry into the events at Orgreave during the miners' strike.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime have already met with the Orgreave and Truth and Justice Campaign and the National Union of Mineworkers to discuss the Government’s manifesto commitment of holding an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave. in October 2024. Ministers found this to be a positive meeting and have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.
Next steps will be announced in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 902429 on Orgreave, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.
Next steps will be announced in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on launching an inquiry into the events at Orgreave during the miners strike.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention have met with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, and the Home Office is developing plans to deliver on the Government’s manifesto commitment to ensure, through an investigation or inquiry, that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for (a) launching and (b) concluding an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave in 1984.
The Government is committed to an investigation or inquiry into the policing of the events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 and will consider options for delivering this. We will ensure that the House is updated as soon as practicable.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will open an independent public enquiry into the conduct of the police at Orgreave coking works during the 1984-85 miners' strike.
There are no plans to establish a public inquiry into the policing of the events at the Orgreave coking plant on 18 June 1984.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent inquiry into the policing of the miners' strike in 1984-85.
There are no plans to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent inquiry into the policing of the miners’ strike in 1984-85 in England and Wales.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to hold a public inquiry into the police operation at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.
There are no plans to review the Government’s decision of 31 October 2016 not to establish a public inquiry into the policing of the events at the Orgreave coking plant on 18 June 1984.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the implications are for his policy on conducting an inquiry into police action in England and Wales during the 1984 miners' strike of the decision by the Scottish Justice Secretary to order an i
There are no plans to review the Government’s decision of 31 October 2016 not to establish a public inquiry into the policing of the events at the Orgreave coking plant on 18 June 1984.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many documents relating to Orgreave are awaiting review prior to release; and when it is anticipated that the review will be completed.
Following the announcement on 31 October 2016 of the Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry into the events at Orgreave, the Home Office reviewed all 33 files it held relating to the Miner’s Strike of 1984/85 and committed to transfer all of them to The National Archives (TNA). This commitment was fulfilled on 27 June 2017 with the transfer of 15 remaining files to TNA, following the 18 files that were transferred on 18 February 2017. The 1984 plan for police operations at Orgreave was not found in the Home Office papers as such matters are for the respective police force(s) involved and it is not common practice for these plans to be submitted to the Home Office or other Government departments.
The transferred files were subject to a small number of limited redactions for personal data and other sensitivity reasons following established government record review processes, including oversight by the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what grounds documents relating to Orgreave were redacted before release; and what the procedure was for approving such redactions.
Following the announcement on 31 October 2016 of the Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry into the events at Orgreave, the Home Office reviewed all 33 files it held relating to the Miner’s Strike of 1984/85 and committed to transfer all of them to The National Archives (TNA). This commitment was fulfilled on 27 June 2017 with the transfer of 15 remaining files to TNA, following the 18 files that were transferred on 18 February 2017. The 1984 plan for police operations at Orgreave was not found in the Home Office papers as such matters are for the respective police force(s) involved and it is not common practice for these plans to be submitted to the Home Office or other Government departments.
The transferred files were subject to a small number of limited redactions for personal data and other sensitivity reasons following established government record review processes, including oversight by the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has located the plan for the police operation at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.
Following the announcement on 31 October 2016 of the Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry into the events at Orgreave, the Home Office reviewed all 33 files it held relating to the Miner’s Strike of 1984/85 and committed to transfer all of them to The National Archives (TNA). This commitment was fulfilled on 27 June 2017 with the transfer of 15 remaining files to TNA, following the 18 files that were transferred on 18 February 2017. The 1984 plan for police operations at Orgreave was not found in the Home Office papers as such matters are for the respective police force(s) involved and it is not common practice for these plans to be submitted to the Home Office or other Government departments.
The transferred files were subject to a small number of limited redactions for personal data and other sensitivity reasons following established government record review processes, including oversight by the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to commitment to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee in her letter dated 28 November 2016, whether all of her Department's files relating to Orgreave have been released.
Following the announcement on 31 October 2016 of the Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry into the events at Orgreave, the Home Office reviewed all 33 files it held relating to the Miner’s Strike of 1984/85 and committed to transfer all of them to The National Archives (TNA). This commitment was fulfilled on 27 June 2017 with the transfer of 15 remaining files to TNA, following the 18 files that were transferred on 18 February 2017. The 1984 plan for police operations at Orgreave was not found in the Home Office papers as such matters are for the respective police force(s) involved and it is not common practice for these plans to be submitted to the Home Office or other Government departments.
The transferred files were subject to a small number of limited redactions for personal data and other sensitivity reasons following established government record review processes, including oversight by the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee on evidence pertaining to Orgreave, for what reasons it will take up to six months to release the 30 remaining Home Office files to th
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department assessed the evidence held by South Yorkshire Police on its operations at Orgreave during the Miners' Strike in 1984 before making a decision on whether to hold an inquiry into
The Home Office did not review files or assess evidence held by South Yorkshire Police.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the documents that her Department considered prior to her decision not to pursue an inquiry into alleged South Yorkshire police malpractice at Orgreave in 1984.
The Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry or independent review into the events at Orgreave Coking Plant was based on a number of factors, including consideration of the key purposes of an inquiry and whether these were met in the case of Orgreave. As part of this consideration, the Home Secretary reviewed a range of relevant documentation.