Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the written statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS855, on Events at Orgreave, whether the Chair of the inquiry has provided a declaration of interests, including any declaration of political activity; and what is his remuneration.

Section 17 of the Inquiries Act 2005 requires the Chair of an Inquiry established under the Act to act with fairness and with regard to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost. Once the Orgreave Inquiry is established, it will be expected to publish its costs periodically. Ministers will meet with the Chair to discuss budgets and timetables in more detail once the terms of reference have been published, at which point it will be possible to make more reliable estimates on the inquiry’s time and cost.

Under the 2005 Act, there are legal requirements concerning the expertise, balance and impartiality of the Chair. The previous Home Secretary made the decision to appoint the Chair of the Inquiry on the basis of those requirements being met.