Public Inquiry Efficiency
Edinburgh Tram Inquiry · Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report · Issued 1 August 2023 · Addressed to: Scottish Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, Chapter 2 Recommendation 1 (paragraph 2.99)
Scottish Ministers should undertake a review of public inquiries to determine the most cost-effective method of avoiding delay in the establishment of an inquiry, including consideration of establishing a dedicated unit within the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and publishing regularly updated guidance for people involved in the establishment and progress of public inquiries.
Edinburgh Tram Inquiry, Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report · 1 Aug 2023 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- In November 2025, the Scottish Government published "Public inquiries: guidance for Ministers and officials", providing guidance on whether an inquiry should be established, covering statutory and non-statutory options, independence requirements, cost and timing considerations, powers available, interaction with parallel investigations, ECHR obligations, and alternative mechanisms (Public inquiries: guidance for Ministers and officials, Scottish Government, 24 November 2025).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
The Scottish Government stated that guidance similar to that suggested is already in development for the efficient establishment of inquiries and has been shared with recent inquiries. Source: Transport Secretary Statement, 2 November 2023.
Scottish Government · 2 Nov 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 2 Nov 2023 Initial status based on Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council responses to the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report (September 2023). Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.