Parliament

My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Yvette Cooper MP) has made the following statement:

On Thursday 19 March 2026, the Covid-19 Inquiry published its third report, which focussed on the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare systems of the UK and put forward ten recommendations for the Government to consider. Today, the Government is publishing its response to the report, and setting out the actions we are taking to address its recommendations.

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most significant public health challenges in recent history, placing extraordinary demands on health and care services and affecting people and communities across the United Kingdom.

Many thousands lost loved ones, often in deeply distressing circumstances, and our thoughts remain with all those affected. We also continue to pay tribute to the health and social care workers across the country who served the public with extraordinary dedication, compassion, and courage in the most challenging of conditions.

The Government is grateful to Baroness Hallett and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry team for their continued efforts to ensure that we learn all the necessary lessons from this crisis, and we are grateful as well to all those front-line workers and bereaved families who shared often harrowing evidence of their experiences with the Inquiry.

The Module 3 report is a sobering and important account of the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK. It recognises both the extraordinary efforts of frontline staff and the profound pressures under which they worked.

It also shows how the pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in our health and care systems, including longstanding weaknesses in staffing, capacity and infrastructure, and it sets out the consequences that these had for patient care during a national emergency.

It is vital that the lessons from those failings continue to be learned and embedded to strengthen the future resilience of our health and care systems.

In many areas, that action is already underway. Our 10 Year Health Plan sets out a long-term vision to make the NHS fit for the future, delivering better, faster care, with a workforce that is more empowered, flexible and fulfilled. We are also bringing forward legislation through the Health Bill which is integral to our modernisation agenda to improve patient care, system co-ordination and accountability.

Most importantly, alongside these reforms, our new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy shows how the UK will build on the specific lessons from COVID-19, and ensure we are better ready and able to deal with pandemics in the future.

Our response to the Module 3 report takes this work further and sets out the actions we are taking to strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies. These include improving infection prevention and control governance, strengthening visiting rights, modernising health data systems through the Single Patient Record and strengthening psychological, emotional and occupational health support for the health and care workforce.

We recognise that meaningful change will require partnership working across all the nations of the United Kingdom, the NHS, local government, and the wider health and care sector. We are committed to working closely with our partners to ensure that the lessons of this report are fully embedded at every level, and in every region. We will continue to work on these issues to turn the lessons identified in the report into lasting change and ensure the country is better prepared for future threats.

While the Module 3 report is focused on healthcare systems, teams across health and social care have worked together to strengthen joint working between the two systems, so that people experience more integrated and person-centred care.

The upcoming Module 6 report will consider social care in more detail, and those findings will be carefully taken into account as the Government develops its plans for a National Care Service, and ensures that the social care system in our country gives people the dignity, support and security they deserve.

We owe it to all those who suffered during the pandemic, and all those who served on the front-line of that health crisis, to ensure that the failings of the past have been properly acknowledged and addressed, and that a stronger, more resilient health and care system will be built for the future.

My Right Honourable friend, the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is examining the UK’s response to and impact of the pandemic. The government is fully committed to supporting the work of the COVID-19 Inquiry and to learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the UK is better prepared for a future pandemic.

The government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures, and different departments organise their response teams in different ways, according to business need. As such, these are not precise figures for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. These costs, including those associated with staff taking time to provide written or oral evidence, are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs 2025/26

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments. These associated staff costs for Q4 2025/26 are below and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-3.

Q4 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 111 Full Time Equivalents

Q4 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £2,345,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £15,145,000 (including contingent labour costs, and retrospective adjustments for Q1-3).

Table: Breakdown of Staff & Costs 2025/26

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,015,000

£4,299,000

£3,486,000

£2,345,000

£15,145,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

248

207

167

111

N/A

</tbody>

Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs 2025/26

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q4 2025/26 are below and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-3.

Q4 legal costs: £1,226,000

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4), total legal costs: £16,346,000 (including retrospective adjustments for Q1-3)

Table: Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs 2025/26

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Total legal costs

£4,993,000

£6,339,000

£3,788,000

£1,226,000

£16,346,000

</tbody>

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today published the Inquiry’s Module 5 report, which examined the procurement and distribution of key healthcare equipment and supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and testing equipment.

The Chair finds that the lack of preparation ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the UK’s stockpile of PPE was in a perilous condition, with shortages and expired stock. The Chair adds that there were no proper plans for the procurement and distribution of key healthcare equipment in an emergency. Health and social care workers were therefore left without adequate PPE to protect themselves, and those for whom they cared.

The Chair acknowledges the logistical challenges of simultaneously obtaining the same supplies as other governments across the world. Those involved in the emergency procurement of healthcare equipment had to act under pressure with extraordinary speed, and were confronted with unenviable choices.

The Inquiry identifies 11 recommendations to ensure that the UK is better prepared ahead of a future healthcare emergency.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The Government will carefully consider the findings and recommendations of the report and respond in due course.

I have laid a copy of the report before both Houses of Parliament.

My Right Honourable friend, the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is examining the UK’s response to and impact of the pandemic. The government is fully committed to supporting the work of the COVID-19 Inquiry and to learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the UK is better prepared for a future pandemic.

The government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures, and different departments organise their response teams in different ways, according to business need. As such, these are not precise figures for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. These costs, including costs associated with staff taking time to provide written or oral evidence, are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments. These associated staff costs for Q3 2025/26 are below, and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-2.

Q3 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 167 Full Time Equivalents

Q3 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £3,486,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2 + Q3), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £12,800,000 (including contingent labour costs, and retrospective adjustments for Q1-2)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,015,000

£4,299,000

£3,486,000

£12,800,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

248

207

167

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q3 2025/26 are below, and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-2.

Q3 legal costs: £3,633,000

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2 + Q3), total legal costs: £14,965,000 (including retrospective adjustments for Q1-2)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Total legal costs

£5,034,000

£6,298,000

£3,633,000

£14,965,000

</tbody>

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today published the Inquiry’s Module 4 report, which examines the development and implementation of vaccines and therapeutics during the pandemic.

The Chair recognises that the UK authorised and deployed effective vaccines and treatments at unprecedented speed. These achievements reflect the strength of the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector, the universal public health system in each of the four nations which allowed whole-population delivery of vaccines, and the extraordinary dedication of health and care staff. They also speak to the collective resolve of the public in coming forward to be vaccinated.

I would like to thank all those involved in this national effort – scientists, researchers, regulators, NHS and social care staff, volunteers, and all those who supported the rollout of vaccines and treatments at pace.

The Inquiry identifies the following areas for further work: strengthening manufacturing capability, sustaining investment in research and development, and developing the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. It also notes disparities in vaccine uptake among certain communities and the risk of vaccine hesitancy, underlining the importance of building public confidence.

The Government remains committed to learning the lessons from the Inquiry and to strengthen our preparedness for the future.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their work on this report. The Government will consider its findings and recommendations, working closely with colleagues across the devolved governments, and respond in due course.

I have laid a copy of the report before both Houses of Parliament.

My Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister at the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Darren Jones MP, has today made the following statement:

On Thursday 20 November 2025, the Covid-19 Inquiry published their second report, which examined core decision-making and political governance across the UK and put forward 19 recommendations for the Government to consider. Today, the Government published its response and set out the actions we are taking to address them.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a traumatic chapter in our country’s history. Families lost loved ones, businesses suffered or were forced to close, and many across the country were left with life-long health impacts. The government debt built up to cover the economic impact of the crisis is still being paid back today; the impact on NHS waiting lists remains a long-term challenge.

The Government welcomes the Inquiry’s Module 2 report and I want to express my gratitude to Baroness Hallett and her team for their rigorous examination of the issues it raises.

It is a sobering read. Responding to the pandemic was a highly significant logistical challenge to our system of government, and indeed to governments all around the world. However the Module 2 report nevertheless exposes several failures of the government at the time: a failure to respond quickly enough; to treat the impact on vulnerable people and children seriously enough; to provide clear, unequivocal public health messaging; and to turn scientific advice into coherent policy in a transparent, methodical way. There are many lessons to learn from the mistakes, failures – and successes – where they were made.

This government has already made significant changes to its crisis response structures in response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 report. Without effective governance, we cannot expect to respond to crises effectively. The Prime Minister, Cabinet and civil service must be structured, willing and able to make fast, evidence-based and compassionate decisions that will save lives and livelihoods, informed by the scientific evidence. In July 2025, we also published our Resilience Action Plan which explains this government's strategic approach to increasing the UK's resilience. Our response to the Module 2 report today builds on that.

We have already updated the UK Government’s crisis management doctrine, known as the Amber Book, which sets out the decision-making framework for responding to a crisis. This includes establishing the principles for a successful taskforce structure, to oversee the response to protracted whole-of-system crises, and has informed the development of internal risk-specific operational plans for catastrophic risks like pandemics.

The report also notes that clear and inclusive communication is integral to a successful government response to an emergency. The Government Communication Service (GCS) Crisis Communications Operating Model has been updated to clarify communications roles and responsibilities before, during, and in the aftermath of a crisis. We have issued new advice to help departments create robust communication plans for their specific risks, and our STOP model for crisis planning now mandates that all communications consider people with additional needs. This ensures that our messaging is accessible and inclusive by default, in line with the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty, and the British Sign Language Act 2022.

As recommended by the Module 2 report, we are also working towards commencing the socio-economic duty under Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 in England. Additionally, in 2025, we published updated guidance for identifying and supporting vulnerable people during an emergency.

We have also worked closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to draft our response to this report. Our shared aim is to ensure that intergovernmental machinery is configured to enable better coordination between governments while respecting the importance of local accountability. The devolved governments should be invited to COBR and taskforce meetings during an emergency where relevant. Furthermore, guidance has been updated to ensure the three Chief Scientific Advisers from the devolved governments are invited to SAGE meetings from the very outset of an emergency.

As the Government implements our response to the Module 2 report, our progress will be recorded and tracked transparently using our Covid-19 Inquiry dashboard. These may seem like technical changes, but in an increasingly disruptive global context, having processes in place to make the right marginal call in moments of volatility can have profound and long-lasting impacts.

Many will naturally want to put the difficulty of the Covid-19 behind us, but given the long-lasting impact on the British economy and public services, it is right for government to take these lessons seriously. And we owe it to those who died, suffered and struggled during the pandemic too. I am grateful to Baroness Hallett and her team for their rigorous examination of what went wrong, on the basis of which we are acting, to make sure this and future governments can do better next time.

My Honourable Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention (Sharon Hodgson MP) has made the following statement:

I am today announcing the publication of the new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, outlining the UK Government’s plans for improving our pandemic preparedness capabilities between now and 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the most significant crisis we have faced in generations. It touched every aspect of our lives, and its impacts continue to be felt across our communities. It showed that a future pandemic is one of the most profound threats to our society.

The UK is already a world-leader in life sciences. Building on our strengths and the huge amount of work that has taken place since the pandemic to improve preparedness, the 2025 UK Government Resilience Action Plan set out a new national approach to resilience based on continuous assessment of readiness and mobilising the whole of society.

This Strategy, which is backed by investment of around £1 billion for health protection during the current Spending Review period, is a demonstration of our resolve to protect the health of our nation, safeguard our economy, and minimise the unequal impacts that pandemics can bring. It sets out the improvements we will make to our health system response capabilities, and how they underpin a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. It builds on the lessons identified from the COVID-19 pandemic and is shaped by the findings of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and indicative findings from Exercise Pegasus, the largest non-military exercise ever to take place in the UK. The Exercise tested the government’s ability to respond quickly and effectively during a prolonged crisis, with a full report to be published in Winter 2026.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the crucial importance of governments across the UK working together whilst also respecting and taking full account of devolved areas of responsibility.

In support of a joined-up approach to preparedness, all four nations endorse the principles of preparedness set out in the Strategy, while individual nations will have their own plans to implement their preparedness.

These principles include protecting those most at risk, with governments committing to tailoring their capabilities to protect all communities and aiming to deliver an effective and equitable response to pandemics.

The Strategy contains commitments across a number of areas that outline how the UK government will improve pandemic preparedness, many of which have been informed and shaped by the initial findings of Exercise Pegasus. They include to:

Take a dynamic approach to ensure access to vaccines and therapeutics, and address the perceived barriers to the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics for priority pathogens.

Develop the ability to rapidly develop diagnostics for a broad range of pathogens, with scaled up in-house capacity for laboratory testing and whole genome sequencing.

Develop UK manufacturing capacity for vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Further strengthen surveillance systems to be comprehensive, activation-ready and drawing on diverse sample groups across settings and communities so we can detect threats, understand disease spread and enable the analytical capability to act effectively and equitably.

Replenish PPE stockpiles, refine plans for mobilising and distributing PPE, and prepare a cross-government model for procuring and prioritising the distribution of PPE to critical workers in a pandemic.

Strengthen government coordination mechanisms, drawing from early findings of Exercise Pegasus, including through regularly reviewing and exercising response plans. Guidance will be in put in place for local responders.

Publish evidence reviews on the effectiveness of community protection measures and build a suite of measures to support decision-making and prioritisation.

Expand communication channels for and improve our understanding of how to make communications relevant to different communities, and strengthen guidance provided to different sectors.

Review the data capabilities needed to support decision-making and evaluate the impacts of pandemic response measures, and enhance data sharing capabilities to enable faster, more transparent information sharing between organisations and with the public in a pandemic.

Co-develop an Adult Social Care Pandemic Action Plan to respond to future threats with sector partners. As part of this, we will focus on how best to support the wellbeing of those with care and support needs and how to improve the resilience and preparedness of the adult social care workforce.

Strengthen the flexibility and resilience of the healthcare workforce, improve the NHS’ baseline capabilities to manage infections, and develop plans to minimise the risk of cross-contamination across services and maintain continuity of routine care during pandemics.

By integrating our health, security and scientific capabilities, we will protect the NHS, safeguard our economy, and save lives.

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today published the Inquiry’s Module 3 report, which examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the four nations of the UK.

The Chair emphasises “the unbearable stress and distress to patients, their loved ones and the healthcare workers looking after them”. She pays tribute to the extraordinary efforts of all those working in the healthcare systems across the UK. I too recognise the loss and pain people experienced during the pandemic, and the extraordinary efforts of health workers across the four nations. The disruption and effects of Covid-19 on our society were profound, and its effects were particularly felt through the health and social care system.

The Chair has found that the UK entered the pandemic ill-prepared and with highly stretched healthcare systems, and that the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare systems of the UK was devastating. The Chair concludes that the UK needs better pre-pandemic planning. She recommends measures to strengthen national preparedness for future pandemics, with clear accountability for the provision of guidance on infection prevention and control, an ethical framework for resource allocation, improved data systems for risk stratification, and tested plans to rapidly scale hospital and urgent and emergency care capacity. She also recommends measures to protect patients and health workers, including guidance on visiting restrictions, standardised advance care planning, transparent reporting of health worker deaths, better preparation for FFP3 mask fit-testing, and psychological and emotional support for healthcare staff.

This Government is committed to learning the lessons from the Inquiry and ensuring the NHS and the social care sector are prepared for a future pandemic. We will work with our colleagues in the devolved governments as we carefully consider the recommendations in the report. It is clear that the NHS and the social care sector remain under pressure across the UK, and in many cases healthcare services are still recovering from the pandemic. This Government is committed to investment and reform to build a health service in England that is fit for the future and there for people when they need it.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The Government will carefully consider all the findings and recommendations of the report and respond in due course.

I have laid a copy of the report before both Houses of Parliament.

My Right Honourable friend, the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds, has today made the following statement:

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is examining the UK’s response to and impact of the pandemic. The government is fully committed to supporting the work of the COVID-19 Inquiry and to learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the UK is better prepared for a future pandemic.

The government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise figures for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. These costs, including costs associated with staff taking time to provide written or oral evidence, are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments. These associated staff costs for Q2 2025/26 are below.

Q2 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 207 Full Time Equivalents

Q2 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £4,310,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £9,314,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,004,000

£4,310,000

£9,314,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

248

207

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q2 2025/26 are below.

Q2 legal costs: £6,186,000

Financial year 2025/26 (Q1 + Q2), total legal costs: £11,380,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total for 2025/26

Total legal costs

£5,194,000

£6,186,000

£11,380,000

</tbody>

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today published the Inquiry’s Module 2, 2A, 2B, 2C report, which examined core UK decision-making and political governance.

The Chair recognises the appalling loss of life and devastating socio-economic consequences as a result of the pandemic. I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the pain and suffering the pandemic caused.

However, the Chair has also concluded that the Government’s pandemic response was repeatedly "too little, too late", and that lessons were not learnt and mistakes repeated - exacerbating the impact of the pandemic. The Chair has found that the Government fell short, with advice lacking proper economic and social modelling, the impact on vulnerable people not sufficiently considered, and the culture in the centre of government described as “toxic”.

The Chair has noted that decisions were being taken in the context of the UK being ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic. Since then, improvements have been made to the way the Government would respond to a major crisis. That said, it is clear that local government and our public services, including the NHS, are under immense pressure and in many cases have not fully recovered from the pandemic. The cost of the pandemic still weighs heavily on the public purse. This is why this Government is committed to driving growth in the economy and reform of public services, so that when we face the next crisis, we do so from a position of national resilience.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The Government will carefully consider all of the findings and recommendations of the report and respond in due course.

I have laid a copy of the report before both Houses of Parliament.

My Honourable Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention (Ashley Dalton MP) has made the following statement:

I am today confirming that, on the 18th of September, Exercise PEGASUS, the National ‘Tier 1’ pandemic preparedness exercise set to assess the UK’s ability to respond to a pandemic, will commence.

A pandemic remains the top risk of the UK’s National Risk Register, and experts are clear that it is a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the UK will experience another pandemic. We cannot be prepared if we do not actively look for opportunities to test the country’s capabilities, plans, protocols and procedures in the event of another major pandemic. Exercise PEGASUS is a prime opportunity to do just that.

Exercise PEGASUS will be the largest ever simulation of a pandemic in UK history and will involve participation from every Government Department, the Devolved Governments and representation from Arms-Length Bodies and Local Resilience Fora.

The exercise is due to take place from September to November 2025, led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and delivered with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). ‘Core’ exercise days have been confirmed for 18 September, 9 October and 30 October, simulating the first phases of a pandemic: emergence, containment, and mitigation. A fourth phase (recovery) is also planned for 2026. The UK Government has committed to communicating the findings and lessons of the Exercise as recommended by the Covid-19 Inquiry and a post-Exercise report will be delivered in due course.

My Right Honourable friend, the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments. These associated staff costs for Q1 2025/26 are below.

Q1 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 248 Full Time Equivalents

Q1 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,004,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q1 2025/26 are below.

Q1 legal costs: £5,194,000

My Right Honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt Hon. Pat McFadden MP, has today made the following statement:

Today I have updated the House on the publication of the UK Government’s Resilience Action Plan, this government’s strategic approach to resilience. It is the outcome of the resilience review which I announced to the House in July last year.

Alongside this, we have also published our Chronic Risks Analysis, UK Biological Security Strategy Implementation Report and an update on the implementation of the commitments made in the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 government response.

My Right Honourable friend the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs
The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments. These associated staff costs for Q4 are below, and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-3.

Q4 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 286 Full Time Equivalents

Q4 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,575,000 (including contingent

labour costs)

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1-4), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £21,591,000 (including contingent labour costs, and retrospective adjustments from Q1-3)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,051,000

£5,292,000

£5,674,000

£5,575,000

£21,591,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

280

284

287

286

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs
Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q4 are below, and include retrospective adjustments for Q1-3.

Q4 legal costs: £7,947,000

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1-4), total legal costs: £24,954,000 (including retrospective adjustments from Q1-3)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£4,956,000

£5,888,000

£6,162,000

£7,947,000

£24,954,000

</tbody>

My Right Honourable friend the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work - and she has been clear as to her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I would like to update the House on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Q3 number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 287 Full Time Equivalents

Q3 cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,674,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1-3), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £16,026,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,049,000

£5,303,000

£5,674,000

£16,026,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

280

284

287

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q3 are below.

Q3 legal costs: £6,050,000

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1-3), total legal costs: £16,104,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£4,236,000

£5,818,000

£6,050,000

£16,104,000

</tbody>

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 2 2024-25 on 24 October 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the UK Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 284 Full Time Equivalents

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,303,000 (including contingent labour costs)

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £10,352,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£5,049,000

£5,303,000

£10,352,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

280

284

N/A

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for Q2 are below.

Q2 legal costs: £5,818,000

Financial year 2024/25 (Q1 + Q2), total legal costs: £10,054,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£4,236,000

£5,818,000

£10,054,000

</tbody>

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas–Symonds MP, has today made the following statement:

"The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. The work of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is crucial in examining the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are evidently lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and the Government is committed to closely considering the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, which will play a key role in informing the Government’s planning and preparations for the future.

The Government recognises the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is therefore unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The independent UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly. Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Financial Report for Quarter 1 2024-25 on 29 July 2024, I would like to update colleagues on the costs to the UK Government associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Figures provided are based upon a selection of the most relevant departments and are not based on a complete set of departmental figures and are not precise for accounting purposes. Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including, but not limited to, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the Covid Inquiry are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

● Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 280 Full Time Equivalents (Q1)
● Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,049,000 (including contingent labour costs) (Q1)

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry Response Units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for April - June 2024 are below.

● Q1 legal costs: £4,236,000"

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett, has today published the Inquiry’s Module One report, which examines the resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom between 2009 and early 2020. I have today laid before both Houses a copy of this report.

The report concludes that the UK was under-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic, and that process, planning and policy across all four nations failed UK citizens. Poorly performing public services, pre-existing general levels of ill-health, and health and social inequalities are cited as factors that made the UK more vulnerable.

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted each and every person in the UK. However, it did not have an equal impact, with some affected more than others and with some people still living with the impact of the virus.

The government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe, and as Prime Minister I am personally committed to each and every family that lost loved ones, and whose lives were changed forever, that this government will learn the lessons from the Inquiry. This means ensuring that the UK is prepared for a future pandemic, as well as the broadest range of potential risks facing our country. That is a top priority for this government and what everyone should rightly expect from a government working in their service.

The government is committed to working with our colleagues in the devolved governments, mayors and local partners as we carefully consider the recommendations in the report, as their efforts are vital to ensuring the resilience of the whole of the United Kingdom.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on this report. The government will carefully consider all of the findings and recommendations of the report in the context of the government’s overall approach to resilience.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government acted to save lives and livelihoods, prevent the NHS being overwhelmed, and deliver a world-leading vaccine rollout which protected the nation. In establishing the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, the Government recognised the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future.

As such, the Inquiry is unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile, looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

The Government remains fully committed to transparency throughout this process. The UK COVID-19 Inquiry publishes its own running costs quarterly; the most recent update, covering costs for Quarter 4 of the 2023/2024 financial year, was published on 9 May. The Government’s response to the Inquiry is a significant undertaking and accordingly, the Government has updated Parliament on the UK Government costs associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the Inquiry requires significant input from a number of key government departments, including the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department (GLD).

Figures provided are based upon a sample of departmental costs, and are not precise figures for accounting purposes. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The Senior Civil Servant staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the Covid Inquiry are significant. Those costs are not included in the costs below.

Breakdown of Staff & Costs

The Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 265 Full Time Equivalents (Q4)

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £5,100,000 (including contingent labour costs) (Q4)

Financial year 2023/24, total cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: £18,000,000 (including contingent labour costs)

<tbody>

Quarter 1-3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total

Cost of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (including contingent labour costs)

£12,900,000

£5,100,000

£18,000,000

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff (Full Time Equivalents)

249

265

</tbody>

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs

Inquiry response units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and legal counsel. These associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for January - March 2024 are below.

Total legal costs: £5,300,000 (as of Q4)

Financial year 2023/24, total legal costs: £26,200,000

<tbody>

Quarter 1-3

Quarter 4

Cumulative Total

Total legal costs

£20,900,000

£5,300,000

£26,200,000

</tbody>

My Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy) (Maria Caulfield MP) made the following Written Statement:

On 21 February 2022, the Government published the guidance, COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19, which set out a plan to live with COVID-19, while protecting people at higher risk of serious illness. In March 2023, the Government announced further changes towards managing COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses. New changes from 1 April 2024 are the next stage in delivering this approach.

The latest changes are an important milestone in our journey to living with COVID-19. After several years of dedicated resources and focus, COVID-19 is now recognised as an established and ongoing health issue in the UK and the approach to managing it will now be even further aligned with other established respiratory pathogens. Protecting people at higher risk remains the Government’s priority.

Vaccines for those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 remain central to the Government’s approach. Last autumn’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign saw over 70% of all people aged over 65 years living in England receive a COVID-19 booster. In care homes, over 80% of residents received a booster, providing vital protection over the winter months. Today, due to a combination of immunity acquired from natural infection or vaccination, COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for the vast majority of people.

This spring, a COVID-19 vaccine will again be offered to those most at risk of serious illness, in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The NHS will also offer more people access to COVID-19 treatments, expanding the eligible cohort from the existing 3.9 million people to an additional 1.4 million people at highest risk of severe illness.

The continued effectiveness of vaccines and treatments to protect people at high risk means that we can transition to an approach where COVID-19 is managed in line with other respiratory illnesses, such as flu. From 1 April 2024, changes will be made to COVID-19 testing to align with other respiratory infectious diseases.

Testing from 1 April 2024

While the virus causing COVID-19 continues to evolve, new variants have not required a return to large-scale public testing. Given the high levels of vaccination among groups at higher risk, wider access to treatments and reduced impact of outbreaks, the Government is now able to remove some of the highly targeted testing which remains in place from the height of the pandemic.

From 1 April 2024, routine provision of free COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests for the management of outbreaks in higher risk settings will come to an end in England. However, free testing to determine the cause of an acute respiratory infection outbreak, where deemed appropriate by a local UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Health Protection Team, in higher risk settings will remain to test for a wide range of respiratory viruses.

Routine asymptomatic COVID-19 LFD testing on discharge from hospital into care or hospice settings will also end to align with the approach for other respiratory illnesses, though NHS Trusts will have local discretion to re-introduce this or other forms of testing as clinically appropriate following risk assessment, involving Local Authority Public Health Teams, UKHSA Health Protection Teams and care providers as necessary in decision making.

Acute health providers should have trusted processes in place with local care home and hospice providers to facilitate safe discharges, as set out in the hospital discharge and community support guidance. Together with the care home or hospice, hospitals should assess the risk in the period before planned discharge, seeking advice on proposed changes to testing arrangements from Local Authority public Health Teams or UKHSA Health Protection Teams if needed.

Care providers and hospices will also continue to have the ability to discuss and raise any concerns about discharge arrangements through existing local mechanisms. Where a care provider or hospice is providing services commissioned by a local authority or the NHS and has concerns about a planned discharge that cannot be resolved with the acute hospital provider, this includes the ability to contact the relevant commissioner.

Limited testing, including symptomatic testing of staff working on inpatient wards focussed on treating profoundly immunocompromised individuals, will continue in line with locally derived protocols to protect those most at risk. Symptomatic testing of patient-facing hospice staff who work closely with people who are at high risk from severe outcomes if suffering from COVID-19 will also continue as outlined in guidance, in line with similar NHS settings.

The cohort of people eligible for COVID-19 treatments can continue to access free COVID-19 LFDs from their local pharmacy. These people, who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill, are encouraged to test to gain timely access to treatments. A full list of those who are eligible, and information on how to access tests, is available on the NHS website.

Guidance on a range of infection prevention and control measures in Adult Social Care has now been combined with acute respiratory infection guidance and has been updated to reflect these changes. This guidance, as well as guidance for hospices and other non-clinical settings, has been updated to reflect the latest evidence and expert consensus. It is technical guidance to support settings in operationalising the changes to the services they are directly responsible for from 1 April 2024.

Guidance published on 1 April 2022 for individuals in the community with symptoms of COVID-19 or respiratory illness continues to set out the actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others.

The future approach to pandemic preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the public health and economic risks posed by pandemics. The Government is continuing to work closely with partners to reduce the impact of a future pandemic. Together, UKHSA and the Department of Health and Social Care are developing plans to prevent and/or respond efficiently and effectively in the event of a pandemic.

These plans will build on learning from COVID-19, and the findings of the COVID-19 Inquiry, once published. The exact nature of a future pandemic may vary, and so preparedness is considering all modes of transmission and tackling ‘Disease X’ in readiness for unknown future threats.

The Government has already taken steps to prepare and develop capacity to respond, including through the Moderna-UK Strategic Partnership and the Vaccines Development and Evaluation Centre. Through UKHSA, we retain strong surveillance systems, world-leading genomic sequencing capabilities, and stronger baseline data and analysis functions that will help detect and characterise pandemic threats.

Throughout the pandemic, the Government acted to save lives and livelihoods, prevent the NHS being overwhelmed, and deliver a world-leading vaccine rollout which protected the nation. In establishing the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, the Government recognised the unprecedented and wholly exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, and the importance of examining as rigorously as possible the actions the state took in response, in order to learn lessons for the future.

As such, the Inquiry is unprecedented in its scope, complexity and profile looking at recent events that have profoundly impacted everyone’s lives.

Following the publication by the COVID-19 Inquiry of its costs for Quarter 3 of the 2023/24 financial year on 5 February 2024, I would like to update Parliament on the UK Government costs associated with responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

The figures provided below include input from a number of government departments, including the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Home Office and HM Treasury, many of which are supported by the Government Legal Department (GLD).

The figures we are publishing reflect those that the Inquiry publishes (Legal Counsel and Solicitors Costs, and Secretariat staff costs). The figures are based upon a sample of departmental costs, and are not a precise figure for accounting purposes and are therefore subject to change. While every effort has been made to ensure a robust methodology, complexities remain in trying to quantify the time and costs dedicated to the Inquiry alone.

Total Inquiry Response Unit Legal Costs (April - December 2023)

Inquiry response units across government departments are supported by the Government Legal Department, co-partnering firms of solicitors, and counsel. Associated legal costs (excluding internal departmental advisory legal costs) for April - December 2023 are below.

Total legal costs: £20,900,000

Breakdown of Staff & Costs (April - December 2023)

The Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry is led by Inquiry Response Units across departments.

Number of UK COVID-19 Inquiry Response Unit staff: 249 Full Time Equivalents (as of Q3)

Cost of Inquiry Response Unit staff: £12,900,000

It should be noted that alongside full time resource within departments, Inquiry response teams draw on expertise from across their organisations. The Senior Civil Servant staff costs associated with appearing as witnesses, preparing witnesses and associated policy development work on the Covid Inquiry are significant. Early estimations place these at at least £120,000 for Cabinet Office for preparatory work for Modules 1 and 2, but further work is underway to produce a more accurate figure. Those costs are not included in the figures above.

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

On 28 June 2022, the final terms of reference for the Covid-19 Inquiry were announced in this House. Baroness Hallett has emphasised that she is keen to start hearing evidence as quickly as possible and to make timely recommendations. To assist with this, and following careful consideration and consultation with Baroness Hallett, I have decided the Inquiry will be most efficient and swift if Baroness Hallett sits without a panel.

To help ensure that the Inquiry has the expertise required for its broad scope, Baroness Hallett stated when she opened the Inquiry that she would appoint scientific, economic and other experts to help her with her work, covering a range of different topics and views. The reports and advice Baroness Hallett receives from these experts will be entered into evidence and published by the Inquiry.

Experts will play an important role in the Inquiry but the pandemic has affected every one of us right across the United Kingdom. We have always been very clear that the Inquiry must hear from those most affected by the pandemic, including those who have tragically lost their loved ones. The Inquiry will be gathering views from the public in a number of different ways, including through a ‘listening exercise’ which will enable individuals to contribute to the Inquiry without the formality of giving evidence or attending a public hearing.

The Inquiries Act allows the independent inquiry chair to determine an inquiry’s process and procedure. Baroness Hallett has considerable experience and expertise in leading complex investigations. She is putting in place mechanisms to enable the Inquiry to gather the breadth of evidence and experiences needed to deliver its work effectively and efficiently, with the findings and recommendations published as soon as practicable.

I therefore believe that the inquiry will have access to a range of expertise which negates the need for a panel. For these reasons, and for those of pace, I have decided not to pursue a panel to sit alongside Baroness Hallett.

In weighing up these issues, I am conscious of the recent criticism over the length of time that the public Inquiry may take to reach its conclusions. It is in the public interest that the Inquiry is thorough, rigorous and comprehensive, but also delivers its report without excessive delay.

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

On 15 December 2021 I appointed the Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett as chair of the UK Inquiry into Covid-19. Earlier this year, I published terms of reference for the inquiry in draft and asked Baroness Hallett to conduct a public consultation in order to inform refinements to those terms of reference. I am grateful to Baroness Hallett for the very extensive consultation she conducted and for the subsequent amendments to the inquiry’s terms of reference which she put forward as a result.

Having considered Baroness Hallett’s proposals carefully and consulted the administrations in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, I am content to accept her changes in full, subject only to a small number of clarificatory amendments put forward by the devolved administrations and agreed with Baroness Hallett. The inquiry’s final terms of reference are set out in full below.

In appointing Baroness Hallett as the inquiry’s chair I confirmed that I proposed to appoint additional panel members in order that the inquiry has access to the full range of expertise needed to complete its important work. I can now confirm that I propose to appoint two such panel members, and that I propose to do so in the coming months.

The UK inquiry into Covid-19 is now formally established and able to begin its important work. Its terms of reference are as follows:

“The Inquiry will examine, consider and report on preparations and the response to the pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, up to and including the Inquiry’s formal setting-up date, 28 June 2022.

In carrying out its work, the Inquiry will consider reserved and devolved matters across the United Kingdom, as necessary, but will seek to minimise duplication of investigation, evidence gathering and reporting with any other public inquiry established by the devolved governments. To achieve this, the Inquiry will set out publicly how it intends to minimise duplication, and will liaise with any such inquiry before it investigates any matter which is also within that inquiry’s scope.

In meeting its aims, the Inquiry will:

a) consider any disparities evident in the impact of the pandemic on different categories of people, including, but not limited to, those relating to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and equality categories under the Northern Ireland Act 1998;

b) listen to and consider carefully the experiences of bereaved families and others who have suffered hardship or loss as a result of the pandemic. Although the Inquiry will not consider in detail individual cases of harm or death, listening to these accounts will inform its understanding of the impact of the pandemic and the response, and of the lessons to be learned;

c) highlight where lessons identified from preparedness and the response to the pandemic may be applicable to other civil emergencies;

d) have reasonable regard to relevant international comparisons; and

e) produce its reports (including interim reports) and any recommendations in a timely manner.

The aims of the Inquiry are to:

1. Examine the COVID-19 response and the impact of the pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and produce a factual narrative account, including:

a) The public health response across the whole of the UK, including

i) preparedness and resilience;

ii) how decisions were made, communicated, recorded, and implemented;

iii) decision-making between the governments of the UK;

iv) the roles of, and collaboration between, central government, devolved administrations, regional and local authorities, and the voluntary and community sector;

v) the availability and use of data, research and expert evidence;

vi) legislative and regulatory control and enforcement;

vii) shielding and the protection of the clinically vulnerable;

viii) the use of lockdowns and other ‘non-pharmaceutical’ interventions such as social distancing and the use of face coverings;

ix) testing and contact tracing, and isolation;

x) the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the population, including but not limited to those who were harmed significantly by the pandemic;

xi) the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the bereaved, including post-bereavement support;

xii) the impact on health and care sector workers and other key workers;

xiii) the impact on children and young people, including health, wellbeing and social care;

xiv) education and early years provision;

xv) the closure and reopening of the hospitality, retail, sport and leisure, and travel and tourism sectors, places of worship, and cultural institutions;

xvi) housing and homelessness;

xvii) safeguarding and support for victims of domestic abuse;

xviii) prisons and other places of detention;

xix) the justice system;

xx) immigration and asylum;

xxi) travel and borders; and

xxii) the safeguarding of public funds and management of financial risk.

b) The response of the health and care sector across the UK, including:

i) preparedness, initial capacity and the ability to increase capacity, and resilience;

ii) initial contact with official healthcare advice services such as 111 and 999;

iii) the role of primary care settings such as General Practice;

iv) the management of the pandemic in hospitals, including infection prevention and control, triage, critical care capacity, the discharge of patients, the use of ‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) decisions, the approach to palliative care, workforce testing, changes to inspections, and the impact on staff and staffing levels;

v) the management of the pandemic in care homes and other care settings, including infection prevention and control, the transfer of residents to or from homes, treatment and care of residents, restrictions on visiting, workforce testing and changes to inspections;

vi) care in the home, including by unpaid carers;

vii) antenatal and postnatal care;

viii) the procurement and distribution of key equipment and supplies, including PPE and ventilators;

ix) the development, delivery and impact of therapeutics and vaccines;

x) the consequences of the pandemic on provision for non-COVID related conditions and needs; and

xi) provision for those experiencing long-COVID.

c) The economic response to the pandemic and its impact, including governmental interventions by way of:

i) support for businesses, jobs and the self-employed, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, loans schemes, business rates relief and grants;

ii) additional funding for relevant public services;

iii) additional funding for the voluntary and community sector; and

iv) benefits and sick pay, and support for vulnerable people.

2. Identify the lessons to be learned from the above, to inform preparations for future pandemics across the UK.”