The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes)
Today I have published the Government’s response to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Inquiries Act 2005.
Public inquiries are well regarded and valued by the people of this country as a means of holding public bodies to account, investigating matters of concern and maintaining confidence in just and transparent government. They are a means of bringing out into the open, and providing answers to, some of the most troubling events.
A post-legislative scrutiny review of the 2005 Act, carried out by this Government in 2010, concluded that the Act itself was generally working well but identified several areas of concern with the practical application of the Inquiry Rules 2006.
Four years on, the Select Committee’s timely and thorough report has been a great help in advancing the Government’s thinking on such questions as the applicability of the Act, its fitness for purpose, the powers of the inquiry Chair, and how to ensure that best practice is captured and passed on.
The Government have given careful consideration to the Committee’s 33 recommendations, agreeing with the majority of them. We will implement changes as soon as practicable and, where primary legislation is needed, when parliamentary time allows.
The Select Committee has made a significant contribution to the Government’s ongoing efforts to make inquiries more effective and efficient, and the benefits will be seen in the conduct of future inquiries.
Public inquiries which are in the appropriate form, conducted as speedily as possible, respond to public concerns and investigate the facts thoroughly are an essential part of an accountable and transparent democracy.
Copies of the Command Paper are available in the Vote Office and in the Printed Paper Office. The document is also available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-select-committee-post-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-inquiries-act-2005.