Public inquiries
A public inquiry is an investigation set up by a minister to respond to events of major public concern or to consider controversial public policy issues.
A public inquiry is an investigation set up by a government minister to respond to events of major public concern or to consider controversial public policy issues.
Public inquiries can be either statutory or non-statutory. Statutory inquiries are governed by the Inquiries Act 2005 or, in rare cases, by other legislation. This means that they have more powers than non-statutory inquiries, such as the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. However, it also means that there are more rigid rules around how statutory inquiries operate.
This Commons Library series aims to help people better understand how public inquiries operate. The first article in this series gives an overview of the public inquiries system in the UK, while the following two articles cover the cost and duration of every statutory public inquiry since 2005. The final two articles cover previous reforms of the public inquiries system, ideas for future reform, and comparisons with how inquiries work in other countries.
Overview of public inquiries
Cost and duration of public inquiries
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Public inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005
Use our interactive dashboard to explore the cost and duration of statutory public inquiries since 2005, alongside key facts about each inquiry.
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How much do public inquiries cost and how long do they last?
There is wide variation in how much public inquiries cost and how long they last. In 2026 prices, the median statutory inquiry costs £6,600 per day.
Reform of public inquiries
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How could public inquiries be reformed?
The Inquiries Act 2005 was the last major reform to public inquiries system in the UK. Since then there have been a number of proposals for change.
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How do public inquiries operate in other countries?
Many countries have an equivalent to the UK public inquiry system. New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Ireland all manage inquiries in different ways.
