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Edinburgh Reporter
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Why did the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry take so long?
Lord Hardie who was charged with conducting the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry (ETI) which cost millions and was much delayed, has responded citing operational difficulties with accommodation and internet as the reasons for some of the delay. The Edinburgh Tram Inquiry report was delivered nine years after it was instructed by then First Minister, Alex Salmond at a cost of more than £13 million. His Lordship submitted evidence to the parliamentary Finance and Public Administration Committee on Tuesday. In advance of the committee meeting at Holyrood the retired judge sent a written submission which covered many of the practical issues, saying these were reasons for the delay. He said: 'Following my appointment as chair of ETI, I had to identify suitable premises with the assistance of the Solicitor to the Inquiry, whom I had appointed immediately following my appointment, and other civil servants unconnected with the ETI. This issue is addressed in chapter 2 of my Report. I was offered and accepted the use of premises that were surplus to requirements of Creative Scotland. The rent was paid by the Scottish Government and the office premises had the appearance of a modern office with adequate IT connections. The appearance was deceptive and for almost 6 months staff at ETI struggled with inadequate IT connections which frequently failed. 'The effect on staff morale was significant and there was a considerable waste of time and money during that time. In the Report I refer to the fiasco of Vodafone failing to install a cable on different occasions for different reasons and failing to link the portals to a newly installed cabinet. 'Apart from accommodation it was necessary to appoint a Secretary whose early tasks included staffing the Inquiry office with document coders, an IT manager and others. Many of the staff were agency workers while others were civil servants electing to transfer to ETI. Because of civil service procedures the delay in civil servants, including the Secretary, moving to ETI resulted in delay to the initial progress of the Inquiry. The process of setting up the Inquiry with accommodation, staff and other resources gave the impression of our reinventing the wheel. There was little or no guidance to assist with this stage of the Inquiry. 'My first recommendation of 24 in my Report was that '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 [SCTS] and publishing regularly updated guidance for people involved in the establishment and progress of public inquiries.' Net costs Lord Hardie also recommended that in any future inquiries the costs should be reported net – and he gave his reasons why the net cost of £8.7 million was the more representative cost of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry. He said: 'Wherever possible and in the interests of economy regarding public expenditure I used resources that had already been funded by the public purse. These included the cost of accommodation which was vacant and where the Scottish Government was the tenant and had sub-let it to a government department or agency. 'It also included the salaries of permanent civil servants who had transferred to the ETI and whose posts in their former department were not filled. Although these costs were added to the costs of the ETI as an accounting exercise, the public purse did not incur any additional expense. I am aware that not all public inquiries have adopted a similar approach. For example some may use accommodation that is not already available within the Scottish Government's portfolio of leased but vacant property; some may also use more staff recruited from outside the civil service. 'In these examples the costs will be included in the costs of the inquiry and will be additional expenditure incurred by the public purse. As I explained in my video release of the ETI Report, if the expenditure on resources already funded by the public purse was deducted from the cost of ETI, the cost at that time would have reduced from £13.1 million to £8.7 million.' Lord Hardie Chair of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Professor Sandy Cameron Professor Sandy Cameron, CBE, who is currently Independent Chair of the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice, gave evidence to the committee in person. He was involved in the Jersey care inquiry which was supposed to last six months and cost £6 million – but it took two years and cost £23 million. Asked about the apparently enormous cost of that inquiry he was asked if lawyers are motivated to keep the cost to a minimum. He replied: 'Legal colleagues work very much on the basis of doing what they believe that they need to do, rather than looking at how to contain and manage costs. The expectation is, 'This needs to be done. We will do it and we'll keep going until it's done.' There is a reluctance to look at other ways in which they might have done it and other ways in which they could have contained costs. To some extent, that is about the way in which legal colleagues always practice.' Professor Cameron said in his written submission that he can 'confidently predict that … inquiries will last longer than anticipated and cost more than budgeted for'. He suggested to the committee that there must be another way of conducting inquiries which 'manage the costs more effectively and deliver more rapidly for people'. He explained that the public 'lose interest' when inquiries last for a long time, and for inquiries involving survivors or victims there is 'the issue of how long it feels for them that the inquiry is taking to get to a conclusion'. The cost to the public purse in the last years has been considerable – some £91.9 million on the child abuse inquiry and £34 million on the Scottish Covid Inquiry. Michael Marra MSP who sits on the committee posed the question as to whether it might be possible to set up a judge-led public inquiry unit. Any instructions would then be sent to that unit to set up more quickly and also to keep tabs on finances. But Professor Cameron was not convinced that any such body should be judge led. He said that he thinks there is good reason for looking at an alternative to public inquiries, but explained to Craig Hoy MSP that it is important that there is a degree of independence in reviewing the outcome of any recommendations of any inquiry. Like this: Like Related
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Troubled Sheku Bayoh public inquiry drafts in UK's top expert amid fears it could collapse
The public inquiry guru has previously represented clients in the Shipman Inquiry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry NEW APPOINTMENT Troubled Sheku Bayoh public inquiry drafts in UK's top expert amid fears it could collapse Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR probe into the death of a man in police custody has drafted in the UK's leading public inquiry expert amid fears it could collapse. Jason Beer KC was confirmed as new senior counsel of the troubled Sheku Bayoh Inquiry on Tuesday. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Sign up 3 Jason Beer KC was confirmed as new senior counsel of the public inquiry Credit: PA 3 Sheku Bayoh's family along with lawyer Aamer Anwar Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing His appointment could send costs of the £24million inquiry spiralling further despite Police Scotland agreeing to a secret settlement with Mr Bayoh's family. It is understood Mr Beer will lead the work around the hearings which will examine whether Lord Bracadale's conduct during the inquiry has been fair. These will take place on June 12 and 13, the Inquiry website states. A source close to the inquiry said: 'It seems Lord Bracadale and the Scottish Government now realise there is a major problem regarding the allegations of a lack of fairness, and that Mr Beer's appointment is a last-ditch attempt to keep the ship on course. 'There is also the question of Mr Beer's fees, which will only add to the current cost to taxpayers of nearly £24million.' The London lawyer is already working for counter-terrorism police as part of the inquiry into the Southport terror attack and as the main lawyer for NHS England in the inquiry into how Lucy Letby was allowed to murder seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The public inquiry guru has previously represented clients in the Shipman Inquiry into the murders by serial killer doc Harold Shipman, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and was the lead lawyer for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry into wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters. The Sheku Bayoh Inquiry was launched after Mr Bayoh died in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2015 after being restrained by six officers. Chair of the inquiry Lord Bracadale is considering whether to step down after the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, raised concerns over his impartiality. SPF general secretary David Kennedy said in April: 'We have lost confidence in the inquiry and consider it necessary to petition for judicial review.' He is set to seek opinions at a hearing in June and if the judge quits, a significant delay in issuing the inquiry's findings is expected. Bayoh family lawyer Aamer Anwar branded the move by the SPF 'beneath contempt'. Cops insisted the out-of court settlement struck with Mr Bayoh's relatives represented 'best value' - but refused to say how much had been paid out. A spokeswoman for the Inquiry said: 'The Inquiry is delighted to welcome Jason Beer KC to the team. Mr Beer has a wealth of valuable experience across public inquiries and we look forward to working with him in the weeks to come.' Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: 'Huge amounts of taxpayers' money have already been spent on this inquiry and this latest appointment will clearly add further expense. 'Given the extreme pressures on public finances the SNP need to come clean about what is truly happening with the Sheku Bayoh inquiry and guarantee answers will be delivered for all involved.' The Scottish Government have been contacted for comment.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
INBS inquiry ends with fourth executive fined and reprimanded
Home > Business > Irish Business Cost of decade long independent inquiry into bust lender tops €24m Colm Kincaid, Director of Enforcement at the Central Bank of Ireland The case, which dates back to the collapse of the lender in 2009, is the first where a person who was the subject of such an inquiry has had a determination against them having refused to agree a settlement. The Central Bank must now apply to the High Court to confirm the Inquiry Decision. The time for a possible appeal has expired. The Director of Enforcement at the Central Bank, Colm Kincaid, said the Inquiry's decision was 'a significant milestone' in addressing the fallout from the banking crisis of the late 2000s. The to the Central Bank of €24m includes its initial investigation into the collapse of Inbs, the setting up and running of an Independent Inquiry and the costs associated with a defending a number of legal actions that in effect challenged the right of the regulator to pursue its cases against individual former bankers. The outcome was 'absolutely worth it,' Colm Kincaid said. The demonstration of the credible threat that regulators will pursue action is important to ensuring compliance across the finance industry. he said. The Independent Inquiry was established in 2015 to examine the roles of INBS and four of its senior figures: Michael Fingleton, William Garfield McCollum, Tom McMenamin, John Stanley Purcell and Michael P. Walsh in the collapse of the former lender at a cost of €5.4bn that was borne by taxpayers. INBS itself and three of the individual subjects of the inquiry agreed settlements with the Inquiry – including accepting individual fines of up to €200,000 and disqualifications of up to 18 years. In 2019 the Inquiry permanently 'stayed' the case into Michael Fingleton, who'd been the managing director and major player at Inbs, citing his poor health. The Cejtral bank has confirmed that the 2019 stay effectively ends any actions by the regulator in relation to Mr Fingelton, one of the best known and most controversial figures in the era of the banking boom and subsequent bust. Commenting on the final decision of the Inquiry, the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland Gabriel Makhlouf said it concludes an important enforcement action taken by the Central Bank in the public interest. "It is critical to public trust and confidence in financial services that there is a credible threat of such enforcement for firms and individuals who break the rules put in place to protect consumers and the stability of the financial system,' he said. 'The sanctions imposed by the Inquiry and through the settlements with INBS and the other individuals highlight the important position of senior role holders and board members in the financial industry. The Inquiry Decision shows the very serious impact failures at board level can have and provides valuable lessons to senior role holders in the financial services industry. It is essential that such key role holders take responsibility for and drive effective risk management and strong governance,' he said. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Councillor urges men to get tested following stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis
Inquiry told failures in testing and tracing cost lives and left Wales unprepared THE UK Covid Inquiry has begun its latest public hearings with stark criticism of the UK and devolved governments' handling of testing, tracing and isolation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic. On the opening day of Module 7, which focuses on 'Test, Trace and Isolate' (TTI) systems, serious concerns were raised about the Welsh Government's effectiveness, coordination, and long-term preparedness. Covid pandemic: Council staff in Tenby in 2020 (Image: File) Sophie Cartwright KC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, laid out a damning picture of systemic disarray across the four nations, including Wales. She highlighted that despite early warnings and international advice, the Welsh Government did not fully roll out its Test, Trace, Protect strategy until mid-May 2020, by which time the virus had already swept through communities. The Inquiry heard that on 12 March 2020, all four UK nations, including Wales, stopped community testing and contact tracing—despite the World Health Organization's call to 'test, test, test.' Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, told a COBR meeting that day that mass testing and tracing would no longer be pursued, even as infections surged. The result was, as Cartwright put it, a 'disastrous blind spot' in surveillance and control. While countries like South Korea and Japan avoided national lockdowns through robust test-and-isolate systems, the UK suffered repeated waves. Professor Anthony Costello estimated that over 180,000 deaths might have been prevented had the UK adopted similar strategies. Emotional testimony: Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who gave emotional evidence, represents Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru. She spoke on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Her testimony underscored the human impact of delays in testing, isolation support and communication failures. Lack of preparedness and ignored lessons Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to act on pandemic preparedness plans. She highlighted that Exercise Shipshape, a 2003 SARS simulation involving Wales, had already identified the importance of being able to test, trace and isolate effectively. Yet, none of those lessons were implemented. Marsh-Rees said there was a clear failure to build resilient infrastructure and no meaningful contingency planning, despite numerous simulations and warnings. Testing failures and wave two disaster Marsh-Rees gave a stark account of the absence of routine and repeat testing during the second wave of Covid-19 in Wales. She revealed that repeat testing of patients wasn't introduced until January 2021, and even then only every five days—compared to every three in England. Worse, healthcare workers were not regularly tested until February or March 2021, despite lateral flow tests being available from November 2020. She stated bluntly that this oversight contributed to Wales having the highest rate of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in the UK, calling it one of the group's most heartbreaking concerns. A sense the Welsh Government didn't want to know In her closing remarks, Marsh-Rees accused the Welsh Government of appearing as though it did not want to know if people were testing positive, implying that awareness would have triggered obligations to act. She pointed out that 178 people had contracted Covid in Welsh hospitals just last week, five years into the pandemic. 'Testing has been forgotten—or proactively not undertaken,' she said. 'It's like a concerted effort not to find out.' Her testimony called for an internationally informed overhaul of public health strategy and an end to political point scoring in future pandemic response. Missed opportunities in Wales Wales launched its Test, Trace, Protect plan on 13 May 2020. Then Health Minister Vaughan Gething promised increased capacity and localised response. But the Inquiry was told that testing capacity remained limited, with many key functions outsourced to UK-wide services like Lighthouse Labs and delivery partners like Amazon, rather than utilising existing NHS and university laboratories in Wales. A submission from the Royal College of Pathologists noted that many NHS and academic labs in the UK were sidelined, despite offering higher quality and faster results than the private facilities that were favoured instead. The Microbiology Society echoed these concerns, saying the government did not properly engage with universities and local experts in Wales and elsewhere. The Inquiry heard that by mid-2020, Wales had access to six drive-through test centres, eight mobile units and a handful of community testing sites—but by then the damage had already been done. Support for isolating 'too little, too late' The Welsh Government's Self-Isolation Support Scheme, launched in November 2020, was described as well-intentioned but too slow in implementation. Earlier schemes in Northern Ireland and England had started months prior. Evidence submitted highlighted how economic necessity led many to avoid testing to avoid losing income. 'I remember people saying, 'I can't test because if I test and I'm positive, I can't work,'' one person told the Inquiry. Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, will give impact evidence later this week, speaking on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Infrastructure dismantled Lord Bethell, who had responsibility for TTI at UK level, warned that the UK is now less prepared than ever for a future pandemic, with testing labs dismantled, data systems shut down, and public health infrastructure 'weaker than ever.' The Inquiry continues this week with further evidence from bereaved families, scientists, and public health experts from across the UK. Lady Hallett opened the TTI hearings on Monday (Pic: Covid Inquiry)
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Tufnell secures pledge to improve GP access across Pembrokeshire
Inquiry told failures in testing and tracing cost lives and left Wales unprepared THE UK Covid Inquiry has begun its latest public hearings with stark criticism of the UK and devolved governments' handling of testing, tracing and isolation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic. On the opening day of Module 7, which focuses on 'Test, Trace and Isolate' (TTI) systems, serious concerns were raised about the Welsh Government's effectiveness, coordination, and long-term preparedness. Covid pandemic: Council staff in Tenby in 2020 (Image: File) Sophie Cartwright KC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, laid out a damning picture of systemic disarray across the four nations, including Wales. She highlighted that despite early warnings and international advice, the Welsh Government did not fully roll out its Test, Trace, Protect strategy until mid-May 2020, by which time the virus had already swept through communities. The Inquiry heard that on 12 March 2020, all four UK nations, including Wales, stopped community testing and contact tracing—despite the World Health Organization's call to 'test, test, test.' Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, told a COBR meeting that day that mass testing and tracing would no longer be pursued, even as infections surged. The result was, as Cartwright put it, a 'disastrous blind spot' in surveillance and control. While countries like South Korea and Japan avoided national lockdowns through robust test-and-isolate systems, the UK suffered repeated waves. Professor Anthony Costello estimated that over 180,000 deaths might have been prevented had the UK adopted similar strategies. Emotional testimony: Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who gave emotional evidence, represents Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru. She spoke on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Her testimony underscored the human impact of delays in testing, isolation support and communication failures. Lack of preparedness and ignored lessons Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to act on pandemic preparedness plans. She highlighted that Exercise Shipshape, a 2003 SARS simulation involving Wales, had already identified the importance of being able to test, trace and isolate effectively. Yet, none of those lessons were implemented. Marsh-Rees said there was a clear failure to build resilient infrastructure and no meaningful contingency planning, despite numerous simulations and warnings. Testing failures and wave two disaster Marsh-Rees gave a stark account of the absence of routine and repeat testing during the second wave of Covid-19 in Wales. She revealed that repeat testing of patients wasn't introduced until January 2021, and even then only every five days—compared to every three in England. Worse, healthcare workers were not regularly tested until February or March 2021, despite lateral flow tests being available from November 2020. She stated bluntly that this oversight contributed to Wales having the highest rate of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in the UK, calling it one of the group's most heartbreaking concerns. A sense the Welsh Government didn't want to know In her closing remarks, Marsh-Rees accused the Welsh Government of appearing as though it did not want to know if people were testing positive, implying that awareness would have triggered obligations to act. She pointed out that 178 people had contracted Covid in Welsh hospitals just last week, five years into the pandemic. 'Testing has been forgotten—or proactively not undertaken,' she said. 'It's like a concerted effort not to find out.' Her testimony called for an internationally informed overhaul of public health strategy and an end to political point scoring in future pandemic response. Missed opportunities in Wales Wales launched its Test, Trace, Protect plan on 13 May 2020. Then Health Minister Vaughan Gething promised increased capacity and localised response. But the Inquiry was told that testing capacity remained limited, with many key functions outsourced to UK-wide services like Lighthouse Labs and delivery partners like Amazon, rather than utilising existing NHS and university laboratories in Wales. A submission from the Royal College of Pathologists noted that many NHS and academic labs in the UK were sidelined, despite offering higher quality and faster results than the private facilities that were favoured instead. The Microbiology Society echoed these concerns, saying the government did not properly engage with universities and local experts in Wales and elsewhere. The Inquiry heard that by mid-2020, Wales had access to six drive-through test centres, eight mobile units and a handful of community testing sites—but by then the damage had already been done. Support for isolating 'too little, too late' The Welsh Government's Self-Isolation Support Scheme, launched in November 2020, was described as well-intentioned but too slow in implementation. Earlier schemes in Northern Ireland and England had started months prior. Evidence submitted highlighted how economic necessity led many to avoid testing to avoid losing income. 'I remember people saying, 'I can't test because if I test and I'm positive, I can't work,'' one person told the Inquiry. Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, will give impact evidence later this week, speaking on behalf of families in Wales who lost loved ones due to what they describe as 'avoidable government failings.' Infrastructure dismantled Lord Bethell, who had responsibility for TTI at UK level, warned that the UK is now less prepared than ever for a future pandemic, with testing labs dismantled, data systems shut down, and public health infrastructure 'weaker than ever.' The Inquiry continues this week with further evidence from bereaved families, scientists, and public health experts from across the UK. Lady Hallett opened the TTI hearings on Monday (Pic: Covid Inquiry)
