Public Inquiry Efficiency
Edinburgh Tram Inquiry · Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report · Issued 12 September 2023 · Addressed to: Scottish Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Scottish Ministers should review public inquiries to find cost-effective methods of avoiding establishment delays, potentially creating a dedicated unit within the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and publishing updated guidance.
Edinburgh Tram Inquiry, Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report · 12 Sep 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).
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.